Animal Guardians
by SuperMangaFan89
Summary: Running away from his abusers, young Fai Flourite comes across the Sohmas and finds the family he never had. Changed rating from M to T as nothing too, too detailed has happened, yet. Some language in it. NOT a Hatori and Fai pairing.
1. The Pursuit and the Rescue

***Animal Guardians***

**Chapter One**

**The Pursuit and the Rescue**

**Author's Note****: I guess this was inspired by "Episode 17" of the ****Fruits Basket**** anime, as well as several ****Tsubasa Chronicle**** fanfictions with Fai Flourite as a victim of sexual assault. It was also inspired by Volumes 20 and 21 of ****The Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles**** in which I found out how bad Fai's childhood was. I suppose after that, I started to think something like, "If he only he had met someone as sweet and as kind as Tohru Honda." And that's where I got the idea for this crossover. Also, this _was_ rated "M" because of hints of adult themes. But since nothing too, erm, detailed occurred, yet, I've switched it to "T" for now. If it starts to get a little too mature for "T," please let me know and I'll switch it back to "M". Please, review!  
**

**Disclaimer****: I do NOT own **_**Fruits Basket**_**. It is owned by Natsuki Takaya. I do NOT own **_**The Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles**_**. It is owned by **_**CLAMP**_**.**

"You little…Get back here!"

The screams only urged the boy to run faster, trying to put more distance between himself…and his lustful pursuer. The heavy footsteps and panting behind him started to sound more and more distant. Then the boy heard the sound of his predator falling onto the ground. It wasn't until a few seconds later after more running, that the small blonde boy chanced a glance back from which he came. But…

_Don't look back, child! _

Instead of searching around for the source of the "voice," boy focused his attention once more into the direction he was running. More "voices" sounded as he ran deeper into the woods.

_That's right! Keep running!_

_Don't stop now!_

_Run, child! _

As the boy scrambled past the trees, eyes watched him. Not the eyes of men, but the eyes of creatures that were accustomed to both the woods and the dark. Several of the small animals, mostly rabbits and rats, ran alongside the young human, shouting out small cries of encouragement.

The boy and his small companions passed a tree, where on top of a high branch sat a tabby cat. The feline's eyes narrowed as it glanced at the second human. The man had already picked himself up and was continuing his chase for the boy. Scowling in revulsion, the cat sent a thought to two dogs, at the base of the tree. In reply, one grunted in understanding while the other bristled as the adult human stumbled closer towards them. He had barely reached the tree when the cat launched itself onto the man, causing him to yell out and curse as the animal scratched at his face. Taking that as their cue, the dogs charged up to the man, snarling and snapping as the human fought to get animals off of him. Finally, the man, all scratched and bloodied, threw the cat off of him and ran back to where he came from. The dogs took chase, and didn't stop until the man was almost at his backyard.

The man glared at the two canines and they glared back, their fur still bristled as they growled. Finally, he called out to the woods, "Go ahead and run, you piece of shit! You can't hide forever! Your boss-man is going to find you and then there'll be Hell to pay!"

Satisfied with his outburst, he gave both the dogs a smirk and went inside.

* * *

Hatori Sohma sighed, exhausted. Nearly two hours ago, he had received a frantic call from Momiji, saying that his father had slipped on the wet stairs and hit his head. Of course, Momiji had probably been making a much bigger deal of it than it needed to be. Nevertheless, Hatori had faithfully packed his medic's bag and drove to the hotel, at which Momiji's father, Kaoru, worked **(1)**.

Suffice to say, the said patient was perfectly fine, save for a slight bump on his forehead. Still, for safety's sake (and to calm a hysterical teenager), Hatori had recommended that Kaoru Sohma go to the hospital to get his injury checked.

"I guess Honda-san does too good a job around here." Kaoru had chuckled. He had meant it as a light-hearted joke. Unfortunately, for both him and the family doctor, his son had taken it the wrong way.

"You won't to fire Tohru, will you, Papa?!" Momiji had cried out in dismay. "You won't, right?! Don't fire Tohru!"

"Momiji, he's not going to fire Tohru." Hatori had said, with a partially dark look toward the young blonde's father.

Now, well into the night, Hatori was driving home through the woods, looking forward to a nice hot shower and a welcoming warm bed. It was at that moment that the yellow beams from his headlights fell upon a small animal. Abruptly, Hatori spun the wheel, swerving the car to the right, off the raod, and nearly colliding head-on with a tree. Cursing, he swung open the door and glared at the cause of the accident. The animal turned out to be a wild dog, and for a moment, he was glad he didn't hit it. If Shigure had heard that Hatori had crashed into a dog, stray or not, the moronic novelist would never let it go. However, that feeling of relief quickly dissipated when he saw that the animal was not moving an inch off the road. It just stood there, staring at him.

"Go on!" He called out. "Get out of here!"

The dog still didn't move. Hatori grumbled as he turned back to his car, wondering if dogs were naturally idiotic. But as he began to climb back into his seat, he caught sight of a small blonde-haired figure just within the beams of his headlights. Immediately, he rushed out to the small form, fearing the worst. Was that Momiji? No, there was no way that Momiji could have come all this way so fast. But who was it then? Were they hurt?

Crouching down, Hatori gingerly moved the unconscious figure onto their back and quickly examined them in the headlights. It was a boy, obviously much younger and smaller than Momiji. While the doctor was glad that his cousin wasn't harmed, he was utterly horrified by the boy's condition. The small blonde was skinny, and it seemed to be to the point of malnutrition. His clothes were much too baggy, and they were full of holes and stained with dried blood. But what shocked Hatori most of all, was the number of cuts and bruises that covered the boy's pale skin. He had a black eye, his lip was split, and large purple bruises were splotched on his arms. At once, Hatori placed his fingers on the boy's wrist and waited a few seconds before determining the child's pulse. He sighed in relief; the boy was still alive. He then put his hand on the boy's forehead and frowned. A fever…and a very high one at that.

Making up his mind, Hatori picked the boy up as gently as he could and quickly carried him to his car. Within two seconds, he was behind the wheel and driving off. He didn't notice that the dog had long moved off the road.

* * *

**Author's Note****: Again, I'm sure if I wrote this very well. Please, review and tell me what you think. **

**(1)** I didn't know the name of Momiji's father. So, I just decided to call him Kaoru in this fanfiction.


	2. The Haven

**Author's Note****: This chapter is a bit chattier than the last one, so sorry about that. Also, I was inspired to do this story a bit after reading the fanfic ****"The Alchemist and the Zodiac****" by Primitiveradiogoddess. It's really good. But I'm not going to copy her work or anything. Please, review.**

**Disclaimer****: I do NOT own **_**The Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles**_**. It's owned by **_**CLAMP**_**. I do NOT own **_**Fruits Basket**_** as it's owned by Natsuki Takaya. I also do NOT own ****"The Alchemist and the Zodiac"**** as it was written by Primitiveradiogoddess.**

Shigure groaned as he entered the kitchen. "Oh, Tohru-kuuun…" He whined, "I'm hungry! When, oh, when is dinner?"

"Damn dog!" Kyo shouted angrily at his older cousin. "Don't treat her like she's your slave!"

"It's alright." Tohru smiled as she turned from her cooking. "I am running a little late. But dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

Kyo groaned. She was just too nice for her own good.

"Oh, Tohru-kun," Shigure sang, "you are the light in this all too dark and dreary place. A real pearl among swine!" He smiled as he clasped her hands in his. "Oh, how I could never allow another man to take you away! I must keep you all to myself—

"YOU SICKO!!" Kyo shrieked as he whacked Shigure hard on the head. The novelist whimpered as he cried crocodile tears. "Ow! Kyo-kun! Why are you so violent?! Wait," he gave a mock gasp, "is it because you want to keep our dear Tohru-kun all to yourself?"

Kyo flushed a furious shade of red at that. He screamed,

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!"

But before the hot-headed youth could carry out his threat, the telephone from upstairs rang. "Oh, saved by the bell, it would seem." Shigure chuckled as he rushed up the stairs and out of Kyo's reach. He smirked as he heard his younger cousin mutter the word "bastard." Humming, Shigure walked over to the phone and picked up the receiver.

"Hello? Sohma residence."

"Shigure," a tired and worn voice sounded through the phone, "it's me."

"Ha'ri!" Shigure trilled out. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Listen, I need to ask you a favor." Hatori said. "I'm sorry for the sudden intrusion, but I'm coming over right now. Can you prepare a futon?"

"Well of course." Shigure replied. "But why? Are you planning on staying here for the night?"

"Perhaps…"

"Why is that?" Shigure asked. He then smirked mischievously. "Are you trying to get closer to Tohru-kun?"

"Shut up, Shigure!"

The novelist blinked in surprise at the sudden outburst. He had seen Hatori angry before, but never, ever, had the Sohma doctor snapped at another like this! From the other end of the phone, he heard Hatori sigh. "Look, I found this…kid by the road, earlier. He's hurt really badly, and he's running a very high fever."

Shigure's eyes widened at that. "What do you want me to do?" He asked, all manner of mirth gone.

"I need you to set up a futon for him. And any extra bandages and disinfect would be more than welcomed."

"Okay." Shigure replied. "I can do that."

* * *

"Shigure-san," Tohru said quietly, "is something wrong?"

Shigure had come downstairs after his chat with Hatori, and, instead of being his usual happy-go-lucky self, he looked worried. The novelist glanced at Tohru's way and gave the teenage girl a small smile. "Oh, well, maybe. Hatori found an injured boy on the way home and is bringing him over here."

Tohru gasped in horror. "Will he be all right?!"

Shigure allowed himself a slight chuckle. "Don't worry. With Hatori as his doctor, I'm sure he's going to be just fine."

Kyo frowned. "But why is Hatori bringing the kid here? I mean, couldn't he just bring him to his own place?"

The novelist shrugged. "Yes, he could. But Akito-san's in one of his moods right now. It wouldn't be a good idea to bring the kid anywhere near the Sohma Estate."

Silence ensued before the novelist spoke up again. "Well, I should probably prepare a futon for our guest. Oh, and Kyo? That means you're sleeping in the living room, tonight."

"Says who?!"

* * *

There was a knock at the door, and Tohru immediately rushed over to answer it. She saw Hatori standing there, his expression grave. "I'm sorry for the intrusion."

"Hatori-san!" Tohru greeted with a smile. Her face, however, soon fell when she caught sight of the small limp figure in the man's arms.

She had heard that the boy had been injured, but she had never thought it would be this bad. Her thoughts were interrupted when Hatori said, "Honda-san, could you run a bath, please? He needs to be cleaned."

"Ah, yes!" At once, she went to the bathroom to obey Hatori's request.

A few minutes later, while Hatori was gently wiping the dirt and blood off the little boy, the front door opened again. This time, it was Yuki Sohma, with his clothes soiled with the dirt of his garden. The grey-haired youth frowned when he saw Kyo, walking down the hallway with a first-aid kit. "So, what did you do this time, you stupid cat?"

Kyo angrily spun around to face his rival when Tohru rushed downstairs, a towel and a change of pajamas in her arms. She stopped when she saw Yuki at the front door. "Oh, Yuki-kun! You're back!"

"Honda-san," he said, perplexed, "what's going on?"

After a quick explanation, Yuki looked grim. "I see. So, how's our guest doing?"

Tohru sadly glanced at the floor. "I don't know. He was unconscious when Hatori-san brought him in."

"I see." Was all Yuki could say. "Would you like any help?"

"It's okay." Tohru gave him a warm smile. "I think everything's all set, already. But thank you for offering!"

"All right." Yuki nodded. "I'll let you and the stupid cat do your thing."

"What d'ya say, you damn rat?!" Kyo bristled.

"If there's anything I can do," Yuki continued, ignoring the hot-tempered boy's outburst, "please, just let me know."

* * *

The boy, now cleaned and bandaged, was gently laid upon the futon before being covered by a warm blanket. Hatori sighed as he sat up, and quietly walked out of the room. Thankfully, the boy's breathing had become regular again and his fever had lessened, somewhat.

But the doctor knew that his job was far from done. He went downstairs where everyone was waiting expectantly for the verdict.

Shigure stood up when Hatori entered the living room. "Well?"

The doctor pinched the bridge of his nose, tired. "With a little rest, he should be feeling better, soon. However," he said in a grave tone, "when he wakes up, I would like all you to be careful."

They all frowned at him. "What do you mean?" Tohru hesitantly asked.

Hatori glanced at her, and sighed. "He had…bruises on him," he began. "A lot of bruises. All over his body." He glanced at his cousins, silently asking them to comprehend what he was saying. "_Every inch of it._"

Shigure and Yuki looked horrified as they finally understood what he was implying.

"Oooh!" Tohru cried out as her eyes turned glassy with tears. "That poor thing! Who would ever want to beat up a little boy like that?!"

Yuki and Shigure uneasily glanced at Tohru's way. It was clear that all she understood was that the young blonde had been beaten up…and nothing worse.

"Honda-san…" Yuki began. But he completely broke when Tohru, all teary-eyed, looked at him. Helplessly, he turned to Shigure who only raised his hands to indicate that he was backing down. Yuki inwardly groaned. How could they tell sweet, innocent Tohru that the child they were caring for had likely been raped?

"Therefore," Hatori continued, "I would like all of you to give him some space and some time. No doubt when he wakes up, he's going to be scared and wonder where he is."

"Yeah, but it can't be that bad, right?" Kyo put in. Yuki glared at him. Obviously, the stupid cat didn't quite get it, either. "You really are an idiot, you know that?" He muttered

"WHATCHA SAY, YOU DAMN RAT?!"

"Enough, you two!" Shigure said sharply. As the two teenage boys continued to glare at each other, Hatori sent a grateful nod toward the novelist. Then, unconsciously, he glanced upward, toward the ceiling. He hoped Yuki and Kyo's ruckus didn't disturb the poor child.

* * *

_The boy always had nightmares. Honestly, he couldn't remember a time in which his sleep was peaceful. Sometimes, in the land of dark dreams, he could see several faceless men, descending upon him, and laughing maliciously. Other times, he saw his master towering over him and reaching toward the boy's trembling form with a meaty hand._

_But this time, it was different. He was sitting in a meadow, surrounded by many beautiful, bright-colored flowers. He breathed deeply and sighed. So peaceful…_

_He looked around and saw before him four figures, or, more specifically, four animals. There was a ginger cat, lying on all fours; a large, black dog; a small gray rat on top of the dog's head; and lying right in front of the boy, with its big, green scaly body and great amber eyes was a creature that was only said to appear in legend. It was a dragon. But the boy wasn't scared. He had always felt…comfortable around animals, much more than fellow human beings, anyway. And even though, he was face-to-face with a creature that was ten times larger than him, the boy just looked at the dragon as if the beast was a long-time friend._

_He felt a small weight on his leg, and he glanced down to see the tiny rat gazing up at him. "Don't worry. You're safe, now."_

_The boy frowned. "Wha…?"_

_"When you wake up," the cat said, "do not be afraid of the people taking care of you."_

_The boy turned to the other three, his face in utter confusion. "I don't understand…"_

_"You will in due time." The dog stated. He gazed at the boy with his big brown eyes. "Please, don't be afraid to love, again…"_

_The boy blanched at that. Then, all of a sudden, the meadow started to fade away; the flowers, the sun, everything! But just before the animals could disappear, the dragon rumbled, "I promise. We'll protect you. There's no need to be afraid."_

_The boy yelled out to the dragon, desperately begging for his friends to stay with him. The only response he received was the echoing, "There's no need to be afraid."_

* * *

**Author's Note****: Please, review!**


	3. Onigiri for Guestsan

**Author's Note****: Please, review, and tell me what you think! Flames are welcomed!**

**Disclaimer****: I do NOT own **_**The Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles**_**. It's owned by **_**CLAMP**_**. I also do NOT own **_**Fruits Basket**_** as it's owned by Natsuki Takaya.**

Light poured in through the window, bathing the small sleeping figure in sweet warmth. After a while, the blonde's eyelids slowly fluttered open. He winced, as the sunlight shone in his face. Involuntarily, he raised his hand up to shade his eyes…and stopped upon seeing an unfamiliar sleeve hanging from around his skinny arm. Almost abruptly, he sat up and looked at himself. He was wearing light blue baggy pajamas, pajamas that the boy knew weren't his.

"Wha…?"

His deep blue eyes started to scan his surroundings. He was sitting on a futon, covered with blankets. The room in which he was occupying was spacious, at least to the blonde's point of view. In the sunlight that entered through the window, the little boy could see the room adorned with a small bookshelf and a desk a few feet away from him.

Needless to say, the blonde was confused and very apprehensive. He had no idea where he was, or even how he got there. He wracked his brain, hoping to find some clue to this puzzle. He remembered his master selling him to an angry-looking man. He remembered the man punching him, cursing at him, but then the boy took his chance and ran before the mean man could do…could do…_that thing_. The blonde shuddered as unwanted memories flooded back to him. He shook his head, and continued to recall the events of last night (_was_ it last night?). He had been running through the woods, receiving shouts and cries of encouragement from the many night creatures. Even when he couldn't hear the mean man chasing him anymore, he had continued to run, the animals following after him. He had been running for what seemed like an eternity, when finally, he had collapsed onto the ground, overwhelmed by exhaustion. That was the last thing he remembered. Wait, no.

The boy frowned. There were those moments, when darkness seemed to completely surround him, when he felt himself being held in gentle and secure arms. He shook his head. That was probably just a dream. Yes, just a dream. But…

At that moment, the paper door slid open, startling the boy out of his reverie. He turned to see a dark-haired young woman at the doorway, holding a tray of food in her hands. Her expression was that of pleasantly surprised when she saw him.

"Oh! Good morning!" She smiled brightly. "How are you feeling today?"

The blonde did not say anything. He just gazed uneasily at her.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, the woman cheerfully said, "I'm Tohru Honda, by the way! It's so nice to meet you!" She bowed in greeting, but as she did so, the tray tilted and all the bowls and plates full of food fell over and crashed onto the floor.

"EEEYYAAAAAH!!"

The blonde yelped and the woman, Tohru, was still crying out, in hysterics.

"I am so very, very sorry!" She stuttered as she crouched down. "I'll clean that up, right away!"

"Honda-san?!" The blonde heard a voice call out. Footsteps echoed as they came closer and closer. "Are you all right?!"

"What the hell happened this time?!" Another voice demanded.

Two young boys then appeared in the doorway. One had fair skin and silver-grey hair. The other boy, who was scowling, had hair the color of bright orange. The orange-haired boy slapped his hand to his face when he caught sight of the broken dish-ware and spilt food on the floor. "Jeez, did you trip again?" He grumbled to Tohru.

Before Tohru could say anything, the grey-haired boy retorted, "Why don't you shut up and make yourself useful for once, you stupid cat?"

"You damn rat! Shut up, yourself!" The orange-haired boy shouted angrily.

"Honda-san," the grey-haired boy said gently, ignoring his angry companion altogether, "are you hurt?"

Tohru gave him a reassuring smile. "Oh, I'm fine. But," she murmured as her expression turned downcast, "I'm afraid I ruined our guest's breakfast." The little boy jumped when the woman looked at him, as tears poured down her face. "I'm so sorry, Guest-san!" The blonde just didn't know what to say as she bowed apologetically to him.

The grey-haired boy only sighed as Tohru continued to apologize. The orange-haired boy, however, now turned his attention to the small blonde. The little boy squirmed uncomfortably under the teenager's gaze. "Oh." He said, as if he just noticed the child. "So, you're finally up.

The grey-haired boy rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you would have already seen that if you had used your eyes properly, you stupid cat."

"Oh, yeah?!" The orange-haired boy yelled. Both Tohru and the blonde jumped at the outburst. "Say that again, you damn rat!"

"Um," Tohru stammered as she raised her hand in a peaceful manner, "Kyo-kun…"

"Kyo-kun!" The voice of a grown man sounded. "Please, don't make such a racket so early in the morning." Again footsteps echoed, though these were slightly heavier this time. Then a man wearing a robe appeared in the doorway. "I hope you haven't woken up our guest—

He stopped when he saw the young blonde, who was very much awake. The man offered the boy a pleasant smile. "Oh, I see you're already awake!" He laughed. "Well, I suppose introductions are in order. I'm Shigure Sohma." He said as he waved in greeting. "You've already met my cousins, I assume. This is Yuki Sohma," he indicated the grey-haired boy, "and Kyo Sohma." He nodded toward the orange-haired boy. "And of course, you've the met the wonderful Tohru Honda!" He proclaimed as he grinned at the woman, who only smiled shyly. "I don't know about 'wonderful'," she said.

"So, what's your name?"

* * *

When Shigure asked that question, the little blonde boy remained silent and just stared at them. To Tohru, it seemed as though the boy was trying to figure out if they were trustworthy or not.

Kyo, having gone impatient from waiting, walked over to the boy and irritably said, "Hey, he asked you who you were!"

"Kyo-kun!" Shigure scolded.

But when the orange-haired boy reached for the blonde, the child gave a frantic cry and quickly scurried to the other side of the room, staring with utmost terror at his hosts, especially Kyo. The said youth appeared stunned as the child tried to put as much distance as possible between him and the teenager. A few seconds passed when Shigure exclaimed, "Well! I should probably see if Hatori's up, yet. No doubt he'll want to check up on his patient."

Not long after Shigure left, Kyo scoffed and immediately stomped out of the room.

"Ah! Kyo-kun!" Tohru cried out, as she stood up.

Yuki sighed. "Don't worry about Kyo, Honda-san. I'm sure he'll be alright."

The teenage girl hesitated before reluctantly giving in. "Oh!" She said as she saw Yuki proceed to clean up the broken plates. "You don't have to do that! It was my fault, anyway."

He only gave her a reassuring smile. "It's fine. I'm happy to help. The more hands there are, the faster the job gets done, right?"

Tohru chuckled softly. "Well, if you insist." But as they picked up the larger shards, their eyes subconsciously turned to the small blonde, who was still staring at them fearfully. After a while, Yuki shook his head and glanced at Tohru. "Honda-san? May you please get a broom? I think I saw some paper bags in the storage room, so I'll go get those."

"Oh. Okay." She nodded as she walked out the room.

* * *

As soon as she left, Yuki looked at the blonde once more. "You know," he said to the little boy, "Kyo may be an idiot. But he wasn't intending to hurt you."

The child said nothing as he continued to stare at the older boy. Seeing as how he wasn't getting anywhere, Yuki stood up, only saying, "Please, try not to step in this area. You could hurt yourself." He indicated to the broken dishes. Then he left.

* * *

Dismally, Tohru trudged down the stairs. _That poor boy!_ She thought to herself. _He looked so scared. Then again, I guess _I_ would be after I woke up at a stranger's house._

Hatori had said that the boy had likely been beat up **(1)**. She supposed that after a child had gone through that, they wouldn't be sure who to trust, then.

_If only there was something I could do to make him feel better_, she thought. At that moment, as she went to the closet, she recalled something her mother had said while she had still been alive.

_Sometimes, when you have a bad day, all you need is a smile and a little food to make you feel better_. Kyoko Honda had told her.

_But I pretty much ruined his breakfast, Mom._ Tohru thought gloomily. _I'm not sure what else I can—_

"Wait! I know!" She cried out, with a triumphant smile on her face. And with that, she closed the closet door she had just opened and immediately rushed to the kitchen, forgetting all about the broom she was supposed to retrieve.

* * *

Yuki, who had already retrieved the paper bags, was just waiting for Tohru to return when he heard her climbing up the steps. He looked up to see her at the doorway, not with a broom, but with a plateful of onigiri **(2)**!

"…Um, Honda-san?" Yuki stared at her, inquiringly.

She smiled. "I remembered that we still have leftover onigiri, so I got some for Guest-san!"

"Ah. I see."

Carefully stepping over the broken plate ware, Tohru stepped towards the small blonde, the food still in her hands. "Here you go, Guest-san!" She said cheerfully as she set the plate down in front of him and sat down. "Some onigiri, just for you!"

The blonde stared at the food before him, his eyes widening in hunger. But Tohru must've took it the wrong way because she was then waving her arms frantically as she exclaimed in a frenzied manner, "Oh! But I forgot to ask if you like onigiri! I'm so sorry I didn't ask! I didn't mean to be inconsiderate or anything! I just—

She stopped when she saw the small blonde take an onigiri from the plate and began wolfing it down. Within a matter of seconds, he was done and reached for another. Tohru beamed when she saw him eating her food. He had already eaten his fourth onigiri when he glanced sluggishly at the plate, which still presented well-made snacks.

Seeing that the small blonde was full, Tohru picked up the plate and stood up. She gave him a gentle smile. "If there's anything you need Guest-san, just let me know."

But as she started toward the door, a small, hoarse voice whispered, "Fai…"

Both Yuki and Tohru glanced at him, puzzled. "Eh?"

"My name…" The child said softly "is Fai…"

Yuki's face softened and Tohru grinned, from ear-to-ear. "It's so nice to meet you, Fai-san!" But as she bowed, the remaining onigiri slipped from the plate and fell onto the floor with several "SPLATS." The teenage boy sighed, exasperated, as Tohru began to panic, once more. This was going to be a _long_ day…

* * *

**Author's Note****: So, Fai finally tells them their name! Again, please review and tell me what you think!**

**(1)** Tohru still has not been told that he may have been raped.

**(2)** They're rice-balls with pickled plums in them.


	4. A Good Doctor

**Author's Note****: It's a little darker in this chapter. Just to let you know I was inspired by the fanfics "Secrets and Smiles" by Shunatsu and "Somewhere I Belong" by Tearahlovelen. Also, please review. I am begging you to review this. Otherwise, I shall be very sad and my whole house will be drowned in my tears.**

**Disclaimer****: I do NOT own _The Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles_. It is owned by _CLAMP_. I do NOT own _Fruits Basket_. It is owned by Natsuki Takaya. I also did NOT write "Secrets and Smiles" although I wish I did, since it's such a good fanfic. It was written by Shunatsu. And I did NOT write "Somewhere I Belong," which is also a really good fanfic. It was written (and still being written) by Tearahlovelen.**

Fei Wong Reed's face showed no emotion as one of his lackeys punched his client once more in the face.

"So," He began in a dangerously calm voice, "explain again, how an eight-year-old boy, who brings me a considerable amount of money, was able to escape from your wing after we gave you one night with him?"

The client spit out blood before turning to glare up at Reed. "Like I said," He growled, "he ran out the door, I ran after him when all of a sudden, a couple of dogs started attacking me. So, I ran back home. End of story."

He was punched again.

"Do you have any idea how much that boy was worth?" Fei Wong Reed asked, his voice laced with anger.

The client only spit out more blood in response.

"Quite a lot." Reed answered his own question. "And so," he smirked, "in order for us to forgive you, you'll have to pay quite a lot."

The client angrily narrowed his eyes at Reed. Finally, after a moment or two, he slowly reached for his wallet and spat, "Fine! How much?"

"One hundred-thousand yen **(1)**."

"One hundred-thousand yen! Are you fucking kidding me?" The client exclaimed. Just as he was about to jump up at the large man, Reed's lackeys grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back down on the chair.

"One hundred-thousand yen," Reed repeated coldly, "or the pleasure of seeing you in the undertaker's company."

The client scowled. Then taking out his pen and checkbook, he scribbled down his name and the amount before ripping it out and handing it Reed. "Here's your one hundred-thousand yen. I'm leaving." And with that, he stood up and stomped out of the room.

As soon as the client was gone, Reed slid the check into his coat pocket then called out, "Rondart! Rondart! Get in here!"

A tall pale, lanky man with glasses smiled as he stepped into the room. "Yes, Reed-sama?"

"Get everyone together and packed within an hour." Reed ordered. "We're leaving the city."

Rondart's smile faded at that. That wasn't good. Either one of their whores had escaped or the police were onto Reed's underground organization. Either way, they would have to go into hiding until they were sure that they were safe from the authorities. "For how long?" He asked.

Reed turned his back to the lanky man. "…Three, four months. Perhaps more."

Rondart nodded before leaving the room. The large man then faced his other lackeys and said, "Out. Out, all of you!" He shouted when they hesitated. After every one of them scrambled out of the room, Reed looked outside the grimy window to see the grey alleyway. "Just where are you hiding, little one?"

* * *

"'And the little yellow duck went swimming through the pond,'" Tohru read from the book, "'to see his best friend, Frog-san.'"

She smiled as she looked at Fai, his eyes glued to the pictures. After Fai had eaten, and Tohru and Yuki had cleaned up yet another mess, she had gone to retrieve a small book from her room. She remembered her mother reading it to her when she was very small. Even after she had grown, Tohru still kept the children's book as it brought back many wonderful memories of her and her mother.

At first, Fai had seemed to reluctant to go near her, but after Tohru had started reading the first couple of pages, curiosity had gotten the best of him and Tohru had soon found him sitting right next to her, staring intently at the brightly colored pictures.

"'The little yellow duck swam to Frog-san's lily pad, but Frog-san was not there.'"

_Knock, knock._

Fai jumped when someone rapped on the door, but Tohru only called out cheerfully, "Come in!"

The door opened, and in stepped Hatori. He nodded at Tohru and Fai. "I'm sorry for the interruption." He said as he stepped into the room, his medic's bag at hand.

"Oh, no! It's no trouble at all, Hatori-san!" She turned to see the small blonde gazing up uneasily at the Sohma family doctor. "Oh!" She exclaimed when she saw the child's apprehensive expression. "Don't worry. It's all right, Fai-san! This is Hatori Sohma." She smiled reassuringly at him. "Hatori-san was the one who brought you here."

Hatori nodded in confirmation. "You were by the road, unconscious." He frowned, his eyes gazing upon Fai with concern. "Do you remember how you came to be there like that?"

The blonde didn't say anything. Squeezing his eyes shut as if remembering something horrible, the child turned away from Tohru and Hatori.

The said man sighed resignedly before setting his medic's bag down. "Well, at any rate," He said as be began taking out some disinfect, "I just came here to check on you. I'm also going to give you a vaccination."

Fai faced Hatori, again. "…V-vacksi…vackana…?" He stumbled over the word uncertainly.

"It's medicine." Hatori explained. "It's to prevent you from becoming sick."

Fai stared at him.

"It's okay." Hatori reassured as he took out a needle and a vial of vaccination. "I'm a doctor. I know what I'm—

Fai started screaming. Tohru looked at him, startled. "Fai-san!" She exclaimed. "What's wrong—

He didn't answer as he continued to scream, terror etched all over his face. He stumbled backwards, away from Hatori.

"_No! No!_"

"Fai-san…?" Tohru went over to him, and hesitantly reached out her arms to him, meaning to comfort him. He only batted her away.

"_No! Leave me alone! _Leave me alone_!_"

* * *

He saw it again.

…_the lanky man dabbed a damp cloth at Fai's most recent wounds. The blonde whimpered as the sting of disinfect burned at his side. The lanky man smirked…_

"_You shouldn't struggle." He said. "After all, the doctor knows best."_

"Fai-san…"

_At least once a week, afterwards, when Fai awoke to find himself with severe bruises and deep claw-marks, he would be treated by the lanky doctor. During the third visit, however, the lanky doctor started trespassing Fai's skin with lustful hands…_

"…please, it's all right…"

_Then, like always, he began treating the small blonde. The incident followed suit for the next two visits._

"Fai-san…please…."

_Finally, on the sixth visit, Fai woke up to find the 'doctor' standing right there._

"...don't be scared…" Tohru pleaded with the small blonde.

Fai didn't hear her. All he heard were the haunting words from the lanky 'doctor'.

"_After treating you for quite some time," the man said with lust-shadowed eyes, "I believe I deserve some compensation…"_

_And with that, he pounced for the child…_

"No!" Fai screamed again, clutching his face in fear.

"Fai-san…" Tohru looked at him, helplessly.

"No…!" He moaned. "…no more doctors…no more…please…not again…" He hiccupped as he began to sob.

* * *

Hatori stared at the small blonde as the child's continued to cry out. To Hatori, when Fai had started to scream, it had seemed as though he was afraid of Hatori himself, not of the needle.

"Fai-san…" Tohru said.

"No…!" The child moaned. "…no more doctors…no more…please…not again…"

Hatori blinked before his face turned grim upon realization. So, _that_ was it. The Sohma doctor had to remind himself that the boy had likely faced sexual assault. And if he had been violated by another 'doctor', then it was no wonder why the child didn't trust Hatori.

Sighing, he crouched down to the floor, so that he was eye-level with the small child. "Fai-san." He spoke.

The child stopped crying for a moment and looked at Hatori with eyes bleary with tears. Once he had the blonde's attention, Hatori said in a gentle but firm voice, "I am not going to hurt you. That is not what a doctor does. I only want to make sure you are all right. Do you understand?"

Fai still stared at him but finally, after a moment, he gave small nod.

"Good. I'm going to give you a shot, right now." With that, Hatori took out a needle and began extracting the medicine from vaccine vial. The small blonde whimpered slightly at the sight of the sharp object.

"It's just going to feel like a small pinch." Hatori told him, reassuringly. Finally, the needle was filled with the right amount. As he began tapping it to get rid of air bubbles, he heard Tohru gently say to Fai, "Don't worry. Hatori-san is very gentle."

Satisfied, Hatori once more faced the small blonde and said, "All right. I'm going to need you to roll up your sleeve a bit."

Fai hesitated before proceeding to obey the doctor. He flinched slightly when the doctor held his arm, but otherwise, quietly watched on as the doctor proceeded to rub disinfect on it. When it came time for the needle, the small blonde squirmed uncomfortably and winced when it penetrated his skin. After two seconds, Hatori pulled out the needle and placed a band-aid on the area that was penetrated.

* * *

Fai blinked when he saw that the needle was no longer under his skin. After the doctor had gently placed a band-aid on him, the man cleaned up his equipment, closed his medic's bag, and stood up. The blonde looked up at Hatori, surprised.

"It's…done?" He asked.

The man nodded. "That was all you needed." He gave Fai a small smile. "Just so you know, you were a very brave patient." And with that, he left.

Fai stared at the door, through which Hatori had gone. Then, he turned to see Tohru beaming at him. "See? Hatori-san is very kind! You don't have to worry!" Fai tensed when he felt her arms wrap around him, before he relaxed, letting her hug him.

Perhaps she was right. Maybe he didn't have to worry.

* * *

**Author's Note****: Again: Please, oh, please, oh, please, review! I really don't want to be swimming in my own tears!**

**(1)** Roughly the equivalent of $1,000. I thank Aharah Musici for pointing out my previous mistake.


	5. The Cat

_**Author's Review**_**: This chapter is slightly dark at the beginning, but after that, it becomes a bit lighter. Please, review! Flames are welcomed!**

_**Disclaimer**_**: I do NOT own **_**The Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles**_**. It is owned by **_**CLAMP**_**. I do NOT own **_**Fruits Basket**_**. It is owned by Natsuki Takaya.**

_The blonde struggled helplessly against the man's grasp, but the adult maintained his vice grip on the child's arms._

_"And here," he heard his master say, "is a very fine, young specimen."_

_Fai trembled as another man grabbed the blonde's chin and forced his head up. The man smiled predatorily at what he saw. "Very fine, indeed." He drawled. The child flinched at the man's breath—it reeked of alcohol!_

_The man stood up and turned to the child's master—Reed-sama, Fai had learned to call him. "How much?" The man slurred. _

_"Twenty-five-thousand yen__ **(1**__**)**." Reed-sama automatically replied._

_Fai watched on in horror as the man took out some yen bills out of his wallet and gave them to Reed-sama. Reed-sama counted the money, before he smirked, obviously satisfied. With a nod from his master, the henchmen threw the child at the client, who began dragging the blonde to one of the spare-rooms. Fai thrashed about, screaming at the top of his lungs, as he knew all too well what would happen when he stepped through that door…

* * *

_

Fai woke up, gasping from sheer terror. Bewildered, he looked around, not yet recognizing the room he was occupying. After his heart was finally starting to calm down, Fai let out a sigh of relief when he remembered where he was. _It's okay…it's okay_, he told himself, though not yet daring to believe it.

The doctor, Hatori, had given him a shot, just mere hours ago. Afterwards, Tohru had gone downstairs to cook dinner, but not before lending Fai her book, and promising to read it to him, later on. About an hour later, Tohru had returned, telling him that dinner was ready. At first, Fai had been a bit scared to leave the safety of his room, but after Tohru had given him a reassuring smile, he had followed after her, stumbling a little down the stairs.

He could not believe the feast that was presented on the table. When he had been at…at _that place_, the only thing he and the other children had received was usually cornflakes. Sometimes, if they were lucky, they would be small bowls of rice and some instant ramen.

But the meal before him…it had been enough to make him drool (and cause Tohru to panic when she saw him do so). But as soon as Fai had started slurping down the soup and taking bunches of meat and rice with his bare hands, Kyo had snapped, "Hey! Hey! What are you, a caveman?" ("You're one to talk." Yuki had muttered, sarcastically.) The blonde had blushed furiously at that.

But when he had tried to use chopsticks, he had only ended up flinging one stick, accidentally, into Kyo Sohma's soup and splattering the older boy in the face. The teenager had abruptly stood up, causing Fai to flinch, fearful of his punishment. But the orange-headed boy had just stomped out of the room, muttering furiously under his breath. The blonde had slumped in his seat, utterly humiliated and miserable. But Tohru, after seeing Fai's trouble with the wooden utensils, had rushed back into the kitchen and returned, smiling triumphantly, as she offered him a fork and a knife.

After dinner, Tohru, as she had promised, had read the rest of the book to him. When he had felt sleep's spell start to take over him, Tohru had smiled, and gently tucked him in, before quietly leaving the room.

And now, here he was, awake in the middle of the night. He turned to the window where he saw the rain pattering gently outside. He sighed. Before he had gone to sleep, he had hoped that in his dream he would be visited by those four animals again. Not his greedy master and a lusty client. But as he sadly sat there, he heard a "meow" from outside. To any other human, it might have just seemed like an annoying cat's yowl. But to Fai, the call clearly said,

_Would someone _please_ let me in? I'm hungry and cold, not to mention, I'm completely _drenched_! _

Allowing himself a small smile, Fai quickly got up, went to the door, and opened as quietly as he could, before tip-toeing downstairs.

* * *

Kyo groaned, utterly exhausted and completely agitated. He flopped over onto his side, trying to find a comfortable position on the couch. He heard the rain fall outside, and grumbled.

Being the Cat just plain sucked. Not only was he an outcast among the Sohma family, but because he was the Cat, he always felt sick whenever it rained. _Very_ sick. A "meow" sounded outside, which Kyo, being the Cat, could easily translate as,

_Would someone _please_ let me in? I'm hungry and cold, not to mention, I'm completely _drenched_! _

"Like I care." Kyo muttered as he hid his head under the blankets. Ugh…being the Cat _really_ sucked! Yet, another downside for the Cat, and the members of the Zodiac, was that they always seemed to attract their respective animals. The teenager remembered a time when he was walking through the mountains with Kagura, and a bunch of boars started chasing them. Kyo shuddered in memory. The actual boars were just about as scary as Kagura, herself.

Another yowl sounded.

_Hello? Can anyone hear me? I know you're in there!_

Kyo grumbled. If that thing did not put a cork in it—

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a small…something step downstairs. Was that Tohru? No, the footsteps were too shallow. Kyo guessed that they belonged to the kid Hatori had found the other night. Moodily, he shifted onto his stomach. What the heck was wrong with that kid?

Almost at once, he remembered Hatori confronting him, privately, and telling him that the kid may have not only been beat up, but also…raped. Subconsciously, Kyo shuddered at the thought. He guessed that after a kid had gone through…had gone through that, everyone would seem like a bad guy. But still, when the kid had looked at Kyo, in such terror, the teenager couldn't help but feel that it was same as when his true form had been revealed to Tohru and she had stared at him, in horror. At the memory, Kyo's fingers involuntarily went to his bracelet, stroking the beads.

The kid's footsteps continued, bringing Kyo back to reality. The teenager frowned. What was that kid doing up in the middle of the night? He heard the footsteps tip-toe to the front door, and heard the slide of the door as well as increased volume of the rainfall. He shivered when a draft reached him. But the next moment, he heard the door softly close. Then,

"Are you all right, Kitty-san?" He heard the kid softly say. A splattering of liquid sounded **(2)**, before Kyo heard the cat's answer:

_I'm fine. Wet, but fine._

Kyo gave an inaudible snort. Great. _Just_ great. The kid had let a stray into the house.

_I'm also very hungry, as well._

Kyo heard the kid's footsteps go into the kitchen. "I'll go get some milk for you."

The teenager inwardly groaned. _So now, the cat gets to eat our food?_ He thought, incredulously. He was not at all worried about the kid's reply. Kyo, the Cat, was the only one who could communicate with cats. The kid had probably just made a lucky guess at the cat's wants.

He heard the faint opening of the refrigerator door opening, before the small clatter of a bowl being placed onto the floor. After the sound of milk pouring into the bowl, the little kid said, "Is that all right, Kitty-san?"

A few seconds passed with the sound of a small tongue lapping up liquid, before the cat replied.

_Very good. But I would like it if you don't call me "Kitty-san." That's not my name. My name is Taichi._

Kyo rolled his eyes. As if the kid would understand what the cat just said.

"Taichi-san?" The kid repeated.

The orange-head boy did a double-take. Wait_…did that kid just…?_

_Just Taichi._ The cat answered simply.

"Okay." Kyo heard the kid answer. "I'm Fai." Yes, there was no mistaking it. Somehow, someway, the kid, Fai, was able to communicate with cats!

_Well, Fai,_ Taichi said, _thank you very much for the milk and your hospitality. _

"You're not leaving already, are you?" To Kyo, Fai sounded desperate.

_Of course I'm not leaving! _If Kyo could hear eyes roll, he was sure he heard the cat do so. _At least, not until the rain stops._

Silence occurred for a few minutes, before the Taichi spoke up, again. _You're new, here, aren't you?_

"Eh?" Fai exclaimed, sounding surprised. "How did you know?"

_I come by this place, often_, Taichi answered, _I've seen that clumsy lady—Tohru, I think her name is—cook and she often feeds me some fish. Then there's Kyo, I can't forget him. And Shigure…and that damn Yuki. _Kyo smirked when he heard the cat growl his rival's name. _But I've never seen _you _here, before._

The kid didn't reply, at first. Then, "Hatori-san saved me, and brought me here."

_Hatori…? _Taichi said._ Oooh, you mean that human who's always so solemn?_

"Mmm-hmm." Fai replied. "That's him."

_What did he save you from? _The cat asked curiously.

Silence incurred. Then Kyo heard sniffling.

_I'm sorry! I'm sorry! _The cat frantically whispered. _It wasn't my business to ask. I'm sorry. Please, don't cry!_

"…'m sorry…" Fai sobbed. "I just…I didn't…"

Kyo heard the kid sob some more, and he found himself distressed at Fai's crying. He heard Taichi say, soothingly, _Hey. It's okay._

Fai's sobs quieted down a little, before the cat continued. _Whatever happened before is in the past. I've visited these humans enough to know that you're safe here. They would never do anything to hurt you. Not Kyo, not Tohru, not Shigure, and…_Taichi huffed, as if through difficulty, _not Yuki. There's no need to be afraid, anymore. Okay?_

The kid sniffled one last time, before replying, "Okay."

_Good_. Taichi was silent for a moment before saying, _The rain's stopped. _And as Kyo strained his ear to listen to the outdoors, he realized that the cat was right._ I should be going. _

"Do you have to?" Kyo heard Fai whimper.

_Yep. _The cat answered. _I've got poles to scratch, territories to mark, and catnaps that have yet to come._

"All right." Fai gloomily consented. Kyo heard the kid's footsteps quietly go towards the front-door. Just as the front-door opened, he heard Fai say, "Good-night, Taichi!"

_Good-night, Fai! _The cat yawned. _I hope to see you again, soon!_

"You too!"

Kyo heard the cat trot off, and the door closing. Then Fai's soft footsteps sounded as the small child quietly went upstairs to his room.

Kyo could not believe what he had just heard. Someone else who could communicate with cats! Did that mean that Fai was another Cat from the Zodiac legend? No, that couldn't be! Kyo had seen Tohru hug the kid quite a number of times, and not once did Fai transform. Not only that, but as long as all of the Zodiac members (and the Cat) were alive, then no one else would be born with the curse. But then, what did it mean? How could Fai communicate with cats so easily?

Kyo's bewilderment was so great, that he was unable to fall asleep until just two hours before the alarm sounded. But when exhaustion finally overcame him, he had the strangest dream.

* * *

_He was in the middle of a meadow, surrounded by dozens and dozens of cats. One of the cats stepped up towards him. The feline was ginger and was at least three times bigger than the others. As Kyo looked into the cat's eyes, he felt a wave of familiarity wash over him. This, he realized, was the spirit of the Cat._

_The Cat gazed him, with a stern look in his eyes. "Protect him, Kyo Sohma." He said._

_Kyo blinked in surprise. "What?"_

_"He's still very scared." The Cat continued. "And unfortunately, hard times are still ahead of him."_

_"What're you talking about?" Kyo demanded._

_The Cat just looked at him and said, "You have to protect him, Kyo Sohma. Those that have hurt him will no doubt go after him, again."_

_Kyo frowned before his eyes widened in realization. "Wait! Are you talking about Fa—_

_Beep, beep, beep!

* * *

_

Kyo moaned as his hand blindly reached for his alarm clock. When it was finally turned off, Kyo blinked in the sunlight, seeping in through the windows. He wondered what Tohru was going to make for breakfast.

* * *

_**Author's Note**_**: Again, please review! Flames are welcomed!**

**(1)** Roughly about $250. I thank Aharah Musici and A friend for pointing out my previous mistake.

**(2)** The cat shook himself dry.


	6. Suwasensei and Stupid Sensei

**Author's Note****: I'm sorry it took me so long to update. Just to let you know, I was inspired a little by the fanfic "Blue Heaven" by HardlyFatal. I was also inspired by Volume 3 of the **_**Fruits Basket**_** manga, and Episode 9 of the **_**Fruits Basket**_** anime. Just to let you know. And please, please review!**

**This chapter of "Animal Guardians" is dedicated to Arayende! I hope you're doing well, Arayende! My best wishes to you:)**

**Disclaimer:**** I do NOT own **_**The Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles**_**. It is owned by **_**CLAMP**_**. I do NOT own **_**Fruits Basket**_**. It is owned by Natsuki Takaya. I did NOT write "Blue Heaven." It was written by HardlyFatal. **

"So, there's a kid living at your place?" Arisa Uotani asked.

"Uh-huh." Tohru nodded. "Hatori-san found him and brought him to Shigure-san's house."

"Hatori…Hatori…" Arisa rubbed her temples, thoughtfully. Then, in realization, she said, "Wait! You mean that doctor guy we saw at the Cultural Festival **(1)**?"

"Yes!" Tohru smiled in confirmation. "That was him."

"Of course. How could we forget?" Saki Hanajima whispered in her monotone. "I remember that day perfectly. He had the same strange electric signals as Kyo and Yuki Sohma…"

Tohru yelped nervously as the psychic said that. But before she could stutter an alibi of some sort, Arisa rolled her eyes and said, "You know, it's not very polite to call someone _strange_."

"All right, girls!" Mayu-sensei called into the locker room. "Hurry up and get changed! Your P.E class is going to start in two minutes."

"Dammit!" Arisa muttered, as she began tying her gym shoes. "I can't believe they're making us go out in this crappy weather! And the pollen's still out, too."

"You could always wear your mask, Arisa," Saki suggested, coolly.

The former-Yankee only shook her head. "The last time I did that, I was given grief. And there's no way I want someone yelling in my ear on a hot day like today."

Tohru felt a little sorry for her friend. "That's too bad. Oh," She exclaimed, immediately perking up. "But I hear we have a new P.E. instructor."

Arisa turned to her. "Seriously?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Interesting…" Saki whispered.

"Yeah." The former-Yankee added. She smirked. "Well, I guess I _will_ wear my mask, today."

"Oh, really?" Tohru beamed.

"Yep!" The blonde girl replied. "I'm gonna test the waters, a bit, and see what I can get away with around this guy."

"Ah…" She replied, a little deflated.

* * *

"All right, everyone!" Mayu-sensei shouted out to the assembled students. As soon as every one of the teenagers had quieted down, Mayu-sensei announced, "Down to business, now. As you all may know, Shiro-sensei, your former P.E. teacher, has resigned."

One of the boys from Tohru's class frowned and said, "Didn't Shiro-sensei get his ribs broken?"

Tohru turned to him, wide-eyed with dismay. "Oh, dear! Poor Shiro-sensei!!"

"Anyway!" Mayu-sensei shouted above the girl's cry. "As of today, Kentaro Suwa-sensei will be your new P.E. instructor."

As soon as she said that, the door opened and out stepped a tall, muscular man holding a wooden kendo sword in his hand **(2)**. As he stood there in front of the class, many of the students felt just a little intimidated by the presence of this tall, confident man. Things weren't any better when he declared in a big, booming voice, "So! You kids are the new recruits, eh?"

When all he received was bunch of startled stares, he barked a deep, hearty laugh. "Oh-ho-ho!!" He guffawed. "Shy, aren't we? Well, no worries!" He gave them all an evil grin. "After the first day with me, you kids are gonna start showing some backbone!"

Mayu-sensei did not look impressed. "Suwa-san," she said, obviously annoyed, "this is a school; _not_ a military base."

Suwa-sensei chuckled slightly at her. "Yes, yes, I know. I'm just…messing with them, a bit."

Mayu-sensei only rolled her eyes at him, before walking back into the building.

"All right, everyone!" Suwa-sensei shouted. "First question of the day: who here knows kendo?"

The students, for the most part, looked bewildered and glanced at one another. Then Arisa raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss…" Suwa-sensei paused, silently asking for her name.

"Uotani." She answered bluntly through her mask. "Does using lead pipes count as kendo?"

"Er, no…" Suwa-sensei looked baffled, clearly thinking, "What the heck does she do in her spare time?" He gave a nervous laugh. "Well, since none of you seem to have practiced it, kendo is the art of swordsmanship, more specifically with the Japanese sword, the katana.

"Kendo is more than showing off one's physical strength. It is to help train your mind as you strive to get better and better **(3)**."

Tohru gasped. "Wow! Kyo," She said as she turned to him, "that's just what Shishou-san always says!"

Kyo nodded. "Yeah, it is." He smirked. "But kendo or not, Shishou would beat that guy in heartbeat."

Unfortunately for Kyo, Suwa-san had heard every word. The man narrowed his crimson eyes at the teenager.

"You! Orange-head!" He barked, causing everyone to jump. Kyo looked startled, but quickly gained his composure as he turned to glare at Suwa-sensei.

"State your name." The P.E. instructor demanded.

At first, Kyo seemed as if he was going to refuse. Then,

"Kyo Sohma."

"Well, Sohma," Suwa-sensei began, "congratulations. 'Cause you've just been volunteered to help me with a little demonstration."

Kyo stared incredulously at him. "Like hell I am!"

"Ah! So that's how it is!" Suwa-sensei exclaimed. "You're a bit of a scaredy-cat, aren't you?"

The teenager turned red with anger. "_What?!_"

"Yeah, that's gotta be it!" Suwa-sensei continued, obviously enjoying getting Kyo all riled up. "You're afraid that you're gonna get beaten by me, huh? Me, an old, old man against a teenage boy, with all the energy in the world **(4)**."

Kyo fumed as many of the students snickered. Arisa was no exception. "All right!" She clenched her fist. "I'm liking this guy, already."

"Shut up, you!" Kyo hissed at her.

"Yep! I know your type." Suwa-sensei ranted on. He sighed. "All talk, no walk."

"Shut up!!" Kyo shrieked. And with that, he stomped toward the teacher and snarled, "All right! I accept your challenge!"

Suwa-sensei smirked at him. "Exactly what I wanted to hear."

* * *

Fai sighed as he took a break from his coloring. He glanced a little toward Shigure's room, with apprehension. The last time he had been alone with a grown man, he had ended up getting punched and kicked. But even as he stared uncertainly toward his host's room, all he could hear was the man's whistling and that was it.

That morning, Fai had woken up to the smell of breakfast being cooked. At the table, he had been spared of another chopstick accident when he saw the silverware set up next to his place. He had given Tohru a grateful look and she had smiled at him with a "Good Morning, Fai-san!" Breakfast has thankfully passed without incident, although Fai, after a moment, could feel Kyo's eyes bore down on him. It had made the child feel extremely uncomfortable.

As soon as everyone had eaten, Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki were at the front door, bags in hand. After a wary glance at the two older boys, Fai had looked up at Tohru and had stuttered, "Where are you going?"

Tohru had cheerfully replied, "Oh, we're off to school!" When she had gotten a look at the blonde's forlorn face, she had said, "Oh, don't worry! We'll only be gone for a few hours. I promise, we'll be back in the afternoon. In the meantime, Shigure-san will keep you company."

"That's not exactly comforting." Kyo had murmured.

And so, with a wave good-bye from Tohru, they had left. Fai remembered glancing uneasily at Shigure, who had been standing right there. But the man had only said, "Well, I'm going to have to do some work. If you'd like, there's the television in the living room. There are also some books, though I'm afraid there aren't too many that are, er, _clean_ to read."

And so, here he was, on the floor of the hallway, facing the pictures he had doodled with the paper and colored pencils Tohru had loaned him. It was quiet and a little hot in the house. The latter made Fai very grateful for the bagginess of his clothes (Kyo had loaned him a T-shirt and shorts). Sighing once more, the blonde sat up. But as he did so…

_Knock, knock_.

Fai looked up as he heard someone knock on the front door.

_Knock, knock._

This time, it sounded a bit more frantic. Fai jumped a little when he saw Shigure's head poke out of the room, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"I'm not at home!" He whispered mischievously to the blonde. The child was absolutely bewildered. What was going on?

"Sensei **(5)**!!" Fai started as he heard woman's voice call from outside. "Open up, right now! I know you're in there!"

"Oh." Shigure smirked. "I had no idea she's developed psychic abilities."

"_Sensei!!_"

After a moment, no sound was heard from outside. Then, the telephone rang. Fai glanced uncertainly at Shigure, wondering why on Earth the man wasn't picking it up. Finally, he heard the answering machine say, "This is Shigure Sohma. I am sorry, but I am not available at this moment. Please, leave a message after the beep."

_Beeeeep._

"Sensei," The woman's voice sounded again, this time on the phone, "_please_, pick up the phone! We have a deadline to meet! A deadline!"

Fai could have sworn he heard frenzied sobbing on the other side. "If we don't submit in that manuscript by tonight, then we'll _both_ lose our jobs!! Do you hear me?! Sensei, do you hear me?! _Answer me, dammit!!!_"

"Yes, I hear you." Shigure chuckled softly.

After some sniffling from the phone, the woman's voice snapped, "Fine!! If you won't answer right now, then I'm coming in there, right now!!"

Another beep sounded. Shigure clucked lightly to himself. "Oh, dear." He glanced over at Fai, and smiled. "Fai-chan," he said calmly, "just as a heads up, when a crazy lady sneaks into the house, don't be scared."

"Eh?"

But at that moment, a series of crashes screamed from the kitchen. Fai, after his initial shock, ran to source of the noise, with Shigure following him. As soon as they came to the kitchen, they were greeted by the sight of a woman, dressed in a suit, sitting up on the floor which was littered with trash and small pots **(6)**. The woman, whose eyes were full of tears, gazed up at them.

Shigure smiled pleasantly at her. "Why, hello, Mitchan!"

"_Ssseeeennnsssseeeeeiiii!!!!!_"

* * *

"Attack! Parry! Good, now switch!"

It had almost been an hour since Suwa-sensei's demonstration with Kyo. As soon as the teenager had agreed to "battle" with Suwa-sensei, the man had gone off into the building, and when he had returned, he had brought with him several bags of wooden swords.

"All right, Orange-head," He had said, after he had given a fake katana to Kyo, "let's see if you can do."

"A lot more than a sissy like you can do!" Kyo had growled.

"Oh, yeah?" Suwa-sensei had smirked. "All right, then. Let's begin. Hit me with your best shot!"

"That's fine with me!" Kyo had shouted. But as he had run forward and about to strike down with his sword, Suwa-sensei had brought his up, easily blocking Kyo's attack. "Not bad, Orange-head!" Suwa-sensei had remarked. And with that, before Kyo could do anything, the teacher had knocked him on the head with the hilt of his sword, causing the teenager to yelp in pain and clutch his head. "But you're gonna have to do better."

After Kyo's somewhat humiliating defeat, Suwa-sensei had shown the students the proper way to attack and the proper way to parry. Afterwards, he had divided the class in pairs, giving everyone a wooden a katana. Each pair was to practice parries and attacks with each other. One student would to try to attack their partner, while the other would try to block the attacks.

Unfortunately, Suwa-sensei had been the one to pair up the students. So, after everything was settled down, poor Tohru Honda was partnered up with one of Yuki's fangirls, Minami, who had wasted no time in hitting her in the head. Arisa, who had done plenty of gang fights before, was not holding back at all as her sword swung down on her partner. It was the same for Kyo, who was still a little angry that he had been beaten. Yuki didn't really feel that he was gaining anything from the lesson. This was because his partner was only hardly doing so much as a tap on his sword, so as not to blemish "Prince Yuki's" beauty. As for Saki, well, Saki…

"Hanajima-san," Suwa-sensei said, frowning, "just what are you doing?"

"Eh?" Saki looked up at the red-eyed man. "I had thought that was obvious. I'm reading." It was true. Instead of performing the exercise with her rather partner, Saki was sitting down on the bench, reading her manga.

Suwa-sensei took a deep breath, obviously struggling to be patient. "I see that. But why are you reading instead of doing the exercise like everyone else?"

"'Why?'" Saki repeated, as though it were a silly question. "Simple: I have no need to learn it."

The teacher mentally counted to ten as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Hanajima-san, just please—

But at that moment, Saki had caught sight of Minami whacking Tohru on the head (hard). "Excuse me for a minute." She quietly said to Suwa-sensei. He stared at her, utterly befuddled, as she stood up from the bench and took a step or two towards Minami, gazing very intently at said girl. Then…

"_Eeeeeek!!_" Minami cried out in a shrill voice. "_The voices!! They're here again!!_"

"Really?!" Another girl shrieked in terror.

"Oh, no!"

"Try wearing garlic cloves!"

As pandemonium continued to break out on the field, Saki walked back to her bench and looked at Suwa-sensei. "You were saying?" She said in an innocent tone of voice.

The man couldn't suppress a shudder as he turned away from her. "…I think I'm going to allow everyone a break…" He muttered.

* * *

"Fai-san! We're home!"

The blonde perked up at the sound of Tohru's voice and quickly scurried to the front door. Tohru smiled when she saw him. "Hello, Fai-san!" She exclaimed as she hugged him. Almost by compulsion, Fai stiffened a little from her embrace before relaxing himself.

When they separated from each other, Fai glanced up to see Yuki and Kyo behind Tohru.

"Hello, Fai-san." Yuki politely greeted.

"Hey." Kyo only grunted.

"So, how was your day?" Tohru asked.

Fai stopped at that. His day, in fact, had been very interesting. When Mitchan, Shigure's editor, had snuck into the house, she had immediately demanded for his manuscript.

"What manuscript?" Shigure had asked, innocently.

"The manuscript you said you'd write!" Mitchan had shouted, frantically. "The manuscript you were supposed to write! The manuscript that should be done already _because the deadline is tonight!!!_"

"Oh. _That_ manuscript?"

"_Yes, that manuscript!!!!!!!_" Mitchan had screamed.

"Hmmm." Shigure had rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Oh, dear. I'm not sure, but—

"But _what?!_" Mitchan had demanded.

"I do believe I haven't started writing it, yet." Shigure had finished, pleasantly, to which Mitchan had begun crying.

"_Sensei, you idiot!!_"

Afterwards, Mitchan had started chasing Shigure around, snapping at him to start writing the manuscript. But every time she had tried, Shigure had always found a way to escape her. Finally, she had just broken down and wept.

Fai, around this time, had gone to the bathroom. But when he had finished his business and had exited the room, Shigure had been there waiting for him, with a package at hand.

"Fai-chan," He said as he handed the package to the blonde, "could you please give to Mitchan? I think she's been teased enough for one day."

So, Fai had stumbled toward Mitchan, the package in his arms. As he had approached her, he could see her writing something in a notebook and he could hear her say in a trembling voice, "…to my beloved sister in France…I give you all of my savings and all of my furniture…"

"Um," Fai had spoke up in a timid voice. She had glanced over at him, tears spilling from her eyes.

Quickly, so he could get away, he had handed her the package and said, "Shigure-san wanted you to have this." And as fast as his little feet could go, he had run away into the living room, where he heard the woman's cry, "So, it's done?! Then why did he act as if it wasn't?!"

So, was Fai's day interesting? Indeed, it was! But, of course, he could only translate it as, "It was okay."

"Well, that's good." Tohru grinned at him. At that moment, she lightly clapped her hands. "Oh! I almost forgot!" She reached over for a plastic bag she had been carrying. She brought something out of it, and immediately showed it to the small blonde. "Ta-daaah!" She sang, as her hands held out a fluffy stuffed black cat, with a blue ribbon tied around its neck. "We saw a toyshop on the way from school, and we decided to get you something. I hope you like it!"

Fai gazed up at her, stunned by the kind gesture, before taking the stuffed animal and hugging it securely. His vision blurred as tears started to come. Tohru must've seen the tears because she began crying out, "Oh, are you all right?! Fai-san! What's wrong?!"

Fai only shook his head at her as he squeezed his stuffed cat. He whispered, "T-Tohru-san? Thank you."

He didn't hear her say anything to that. Then, he felt her pull him into another embrace.

"You're welcome." She whispered back.

* * *

**Author's Note****: Please, review!**

**(1)** This their second year at high school, after their first cultural festival (the one in which Tohru made onigiri and Yuki was forced into a dress).

**(2)** In this fanfic, he's Kurogane's father.

**(3)** I learned that from _**.org/wiki/Kendo. **_Sorry about that. For some reason, I can't site the whole URL.

**(4)** Needless to say, he's exaggerating the "old, old man" bit.

**(5)** From what I've been told, sensei also refers to doctors or writers.

**(6)** She had snuck through the kitchen door, but in doing so, she knocked over the pots and the trash can.


	7. The Dog and the Dragon

**Author's Note****: To all of my readers, I am very sorry that it took me so long to update. I also apologize for the fact that this is a very short chapter. But I felt that the chapter would end best this way. Please, review and tell me what you think. I'll try to update the next chapter as soon as possible.**

**Disclaimer****: I do NOT own **_**Fruits Basket**_**. It is owned by Natsuki Takaya. I do NOT own **_**The Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles**_**. It is owned by **_**CLAMP**_**.**

"…Eighteen…nineteen…twenty!" And with that, Tohru turned from the wall and cheerfully called out, "Ready or not, here I come!"

Shigure laughed as he saw the young girl begin her search. A few minutes ago, Fai had asked in a small timid voice if she would play with him. And of course, Tohru had happily said, "Yes!"

And so it was then that they started playing Hide-and-Seek. The novelist only shook his head as Tohru continued her search for the young blonde. At that moment, the telephone rang.

"I'll get it!" Shigure called out. He smirked a little when he saw Fai peek out through the closet door. The child stared at him for a moment before putting a small finger to his lips. "Sssshhhhhh!!"

Shigure gave him a reassuring thumbs-up before he climbed up the stairs, the telephone still ringing its call. As he reached for the phone, he heard Tohru from downstairs playfully call out, "Oh, I wonder where Fai-san could be?"

He grinned before taking the phone. "Hello? Sohma Residence."

"Hello, Shigure." Hatori's formal tone sounded from the other end.

"Why, heelllloooo Ha'ri!" Shigure sang out. "How wonderful it is to hear your voice! We haven't heard from each other since yesterday! Did you miss me? Or, better yet," He snickered, mischievously, "did you miss sweet, innocent Tohru-kun?"

He heard Hatori sigh, exasperatedly. "Shigure, if you don't drop that joke right now, I will make sure the next shot you receive from me will be even more excruciating than the last one."

The novelist gulped nervously. "Understood, sir."

"Anyway," Hatori continued, "how's the kid?"

"Oh, Fai-chan?" At that moment, Shigure heard Tohru call out, "He's not in the kitchen! Oh, where could he be?"

Shigure chuckled. "He's doing pretty good." He answered. "And, though this may not come as a surprise to you, he's taken quite a liking to Tohru-kun, already."

"Well, that's good." Hatori replied. Then, in a grave tone, he asked, "Has he told anyone yet about what happened to him?"

At that, Shigure's face fell. "Well, he hasn't told _me_ anything. I doubt he's said anything to Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun. And I think it's the same for Tohru-kun, as well."

Hatori sighed, again. "Well, I suppose it's to be expected. But now," he said, grimly, "we come down to another question."

The novelist quirked an eyebrow at that. "And that is 'What are we going to do with the kid, now?'" He asked.

Hatori's silence answered his question. At that moment, the novelist frowned as a strange wave of sadness and anger washed over him. It was the same kind of feeling he had felt when Akito has been conceived. The sadness and loneliness had not belonged to him, but, rather, they had belonged to the Dog's spirit that possessed him.

As he struggled to fight back tears, Shigure said, "You know, I don't mind Fai-chan staying over. I mean, we're pretty much safe from having our secret revealed to him, and besides which, he's really fond of Tohru-kun."

"That may true," Hatori replied, "but, _can_ we take care of him?" The doctor's voice sounded strangely thick. Shigure supposed that he was taken over by the Dragon's emotions, as well. "He's obviously been greatly traumatized. He'll need a lot of counseling. And does he really need to get involved in the Sohmas' problems…?"

Shigure did not answer to that. After a moment, he finally suggested, "Well, it's certainly something to think about, that's for sure."

At that moment, he heard a door open from downstairs and Tohru exclaiming, "Oh! There you are, Fai-san! I found you!"

The novelist gave a small smile. Then, "How about we talk in the morning, all right?"

"All right." Hatori answered, sounding exhausted. "That's fine." And with that, the conversation was over.

Shigure sighed as he hung up the phone. At the sound of Tohru singing Fai a little happy song, he rubbed the back of his head, troubled. Yes, it was something to think about.

* * *

_Hatori blinked as he glanced all around him. He was standing in the middle of a meadow, which was covered with dozens and dozens of beautiful flowers. The doctor frowned. Was this a dream? He didn't remember following asleep._

_After the phone call with Shigure, he had sat himself on the couch, trying to lose himself in his book. That was the last thing he remembered. Not that he was complaining. On the contrary, the meadow made him feel a certain tranquility that he had not felt in a long, long time._

_At that moment, as he continued to look around him, he saw…a great, large green-scaled dragon sitting before him. Needless to say, Hatori was startled. He had not noticed the dragon, before, at all!_

_But even as he gazed into the creature's amber eyes and the creature gazed into his, he felt a certain level of comfort around the beast. It was the same kind of comfort anyone would feel around a beloved relative or a very close friend. It was then, at that moment that Hatori knew. He was face-to-face with the spirit of the Dragon._

_The Dragon looked at him, its expression stern. "Don't turn him away, Hatori Sohma." The Dragon rumbled._

_The doctor stared at him, surprised._

"_You have to protect him." Continued the Dragon. "You have to help that child!"_

_Hatori frowned. "You mean Fai-san?"_

_The Dragon rumbled as it nodded its great head. Suddenly, the meadow started to fade away into a foggy darkness. Hatori stared in horror as the grass, the flowers, and the sky began melting away. He started to call out to the Dragon, but the ground beneath him faded, and he fell, sinking through the foggy darkness._

_The last words he heard as he continued to fall were, "Protect him, Hatori Sohma."

* * *

_

Hatori shouted as he sat up on his couch. Panting from the sheer terror of the nightmare, he jerked his around, taking in the details of his living room. When finally reassured of his surroundings, he wiped the sweat off his brow. "A dream…" He murmured to himself. "Just a dream. But…"

* * *

Quite shamelessly, Shigure yawned into the phone. "You know, Ha'ri," He grumbled, "when I said we'll talk in the morning, I didn't mean that you had to call so early!"

Downstairs, he could hear Tohru and his cousins chant at the table "Itadakimasu **(1)**!"

The novelist's stomach growled at the smell of breakfast. "And Tohru-kun made rolled eggs, too!" He whined.

Hatori, however, seemed to have no sympathy. "If you'd like, I can inform Honda-san that you are on a restricted diet. A _very_ restricted diet." He emphasized, threateningly.

"Yes, sir. I'm listening, sir." Shigure replied, in a meek tone.

"Actually," Hatori stated, "I wanted to ask you a few questions."

Shigure chuckled. "I'm all-ears."

"All right." Hatori said. "Just don't laugh."

The novelist snorted. "Oh, Ha'ri! Why would I ever laugh at you?" Obviously, he was forgetting past moments in which he had been teasing the poor doctor.

Hatori sighed, exasperatedly. "Just don't, all right?"

"On my honor **(2)**!" Shigure promised.

"All right." Then, "What size are Fai-san's clothes?"

Silence incurred for a few seconds, before Shigure began shaking with laughter.

"Shigure!" Hatori's voice growled, warningly.

"I—I'm sorry!" The novelist chortled as he clutched his stomach. "It's just—that was out of the blue!!" He was once more overwhelmed with laughter.

He only stopped when he heard Hatori state, "Perhaps, I _will_ put you on a restricted diet…"

"Okay! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Shigure was quick to say. "But, I have to wonder, why the sudden interest?"

"Well," Hatori said, in a nonchalant voice, "he'll need new clothes. I mean, he can't wear Kyo and Yuki's clothes, forever. Not to mention, he'll probably need a new futon. And maybe some children's books would be good, as well…"

Shigure blinked as his cousin ranted off the list, before he grinned in understanding. "All the things a kid needs to feel right at home, eh?" He smirked.

"Well, seeing as how we're the ones taking care of him," Hatori replied, "I suppose so."

Shigure gave small chuckle, as he felt the Dog's appreciation wash over him.

* * *

**Author's Note****: Hope you liked it! Again, please, review!**

**(1)** It's Japanese for "Thank you for the food!" Also, the reason he only heard Tohru and his cousins is because Fai was too shy to say anything.

**(2)** …What honor, Shigure?


	8. A Date with Satsukisan

**Author's Note****: I am very sorry to have taken so long in putting up this chapter! I'm also a little sorry if the ending of this chapter is weak. I'm still having a bit of writer's block. Please, review and tell me what you think.**

**Disclaimer****: I do NOT own **_**Fruits Basket**_**. It is owned by Natsuki Takaya. I do NOT own ****_The __Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles_****. It is owned by **_**CLAMP**_**. I do NOT own **_**Hana-Kimi**_**. It is owned by Hisaya Nakajo.**

"Oh, Hatori-kun!" Satsuki exclaimed into the phone. "How are you?"

"I'm doing fine." The doctor answered. "Listen, there's something I want to ask you."

"Oh! What is it?" The woman inquired.

Hatori took a deep breath before saying, "Do you have any of Hiro's old clothes?"  
"Eh?" Satsuki sounded surprised. "Well, yes! Yes, I do. But why do you ask?"

After a moment's hesitation, Hatori explained the situation to Satsuki. Satsuki was silent for a few seconds. Then, "So, he's going to stay with you?"

"Well, no. He's going to stay at Shigure's." Hatori specified.

"Then," Satsuki replied, "I don't think he should be given hand-me-downs."

Hatori was a little surprised at her response. But before he could say anything, the woman continued, "If he's staying with Shigure-kun, I think what he really needs is _new_ clothes. If you'd like," she said, her voice perked up a bit, "I can go shopping for him."

"That's very kind of you, Satsuki-san," The doctor said, patiently, "but you really don't have to—

"Oh, but I must!" Satsuki exclaimed. Then, in a graver tone, she whispered, "I can't bear to see a child go through so much pain! If something like that ever happened to my Hiro-chan, I…I…" From the other side of the phone, Hatori could hear her give a small sob.

"So, that's why," Satsuki declared in a very determined voice, "I must go shopping for Fai-chan! Wait! Not only that," She exclaimed, "I should take treat him to ramen!"

The doctor blinked when she said that. Wait…what?

"I shall make also make sure to buy him cookies!" She rambled on. "Perhaps, I'll even take him to the toyshop!"

Hatori sighed. Clearly, she had misunderstood and was thinking of bringing Fai with her for the shopping trip. "Satsuki-san…" He began.

"Don't worry, Hatori-kun!" She exclaimed. "I'm on my way to Shigure-kun's, right now!"

"Satsuki-san…wait—

But she had already hung up. Exasperated, Hatori pinched the bridge of his nose, having failed to tell her that Fai was very shy around strangers.

* * *

His arms wrapped tightly around his stuffed cat, Fai fidgeted nervously as he waited to be picked up. Almost an hour ago, Shigure had received a call **(1)**. When he had returned downstairs, he had smiled at the small blonde and had declared, "Guess what, Fai-chan? You have a date!"

Fai had been a little confused at that, until Shigure had explained, "Satsuki-san, our cousin of mine, has offered to go shopping with you for clothes."

The child's blue eyes had widened fearfully at that. The last time he had "gone out," one of Reed-sama's men had tied and gagged him before throwing him into the car and handing him over to a client. Shigue had apparently caught the scared expression on Fai's face because he had then added, "Don't worry! Satsuki-san is a kind woman. She wouldn't do anything to hurt you."

When Fai had stared at him, silently begging for reassurance, Shigure had smiled and said, "Just think of her as a grown-up Tohru-kun **(2)**."

And so, here he was, sitting in front of the door, and nervously squirming about. _Shigure-san said that she was nice_, he recalled. But what if Shigure was mistaken? Or what if he was deceiving him? It wouldn't be the first time someone had tricked him.

Almost immediately, his imagination began to run rampant. What if this Satsuki was a mean, old lady who liked to whack people with her cane? What if she was a witch with long claw-like nails? What if she was like the men in that _bad place_ and treated him the same way? What if—

_Knock, knock._

Fai jumped, startled from his reverie. He heard Shigure step out of the living room and say, "Oh, that must be Satsuki-san!" As the novelist went to open the door, the small blonde, out of apprehension, curled into a tight ball. He held his breath and squeezed his eyes shut as he heard Shigure slide open the door and exclaim, "Hello, Satsuki-san."

"Hello, Shigure-kun!" A bright, cheery voice answered. Upon hearing it, Fai tentatively opened his eyes and stared as he saw a pretty and cheerful-looking woman at the door. Her big brown eyes fell upon him, and Fai, by both compulsion and shyness, looked away when she smiled at him.

"Oh, hello there!" She greeted in that bright voice of hers. "You must be Fai-chan. Hatori-kun and Shigure-kun told me all about you." The blonde blushed a little when she said that.

"Fai-chan!" Shigure tsked in a very light scolding tone. He waved a finger at him. "Where are your manners? You should say 'hello' to her!"

Satsuki gave out a sweet, clear giggle. "Don't worry." She told the child, reassuringly. "I don't bite."

Hugging his stuffed cat, Fai hesitated a bit, before stammering out, "Ah…erm…he-hello…"

Satsuki seemed to be trembling slightly, before letting out a loud squeal, startling Fai as she did so. "Awwww!" And with that, she wrapped her arms around him and declared adoringly, "I'm sorry but you're just sooo cute!!"

Fai stiffened a little under the sudden embrace. He heard laughing, and turned his eyes to see Shigure, chortling. "Yep!" He chuckled. "One could definitely say that she's a grown-up Tohru-kun!"

* * *

"Really?!" Momiji cried out in shock. "That happened last weekend?!"

Hatsuharu, remaining as mellow as ever, added, "Well, that explains why Hatori-san was gone for a good part of Sunday **(3)**."

It was lunch-time, and Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru had just finished explaining to Momiji and Haru about the new addition in their household. Right now, Haru glanced over at them, and asked, "So, how's the kid holding up?"

Yuki glanced at Kyo and Tohru before turning back to Haru and replying, "Well, I'm no doctor. But Fai-san seems to be doing a little better."

Tohru clapped her hands as she brightly said, "He also seems to be feeling a bit more comfortable around the house. But," she said, sadly, "Fai-san seems so scared. It's almost as if he's afraid that we'll hurt him." She did not catch the uneasy glances Yuki and Kyo exchanged when she said that **(4)**. "Which is sad!" She continued. "I mean, he's such a sweet little boy."

An uneasy silence occurred, before Momiji stood up and declared, "Hey! I know, I know! Haru and I will go over to your house so we can cheer him up!"

Kyo angrily turned to his cousin and shouted, "Hey, hey! It's rude to just invite yourself!"

"I'll bring the chips." Haru stated as he placed hand on Momiji's head.

"And I'll bring tons and tons of games!" Momiji happily cried out.

"_Are you guys even listening to me?!_" Kyo snarled.

But at that moment, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. As Momiji prepared to leave, he smiled up at Tohru and his cousins and said, "All righty! We'll come over to your place after school!"

Yuki sighed. "Momiji, you really need to learn to ask first."

But Tohru only smiled back at the blonde Sohma and replied with a cheerful, "Okay!"

* * *

Kyo grumbled as he watched Yuki, Momiji, and Tohru walk back to class. But before he could follow suit, Haru, who hadn't left either, spoke up with a blunt, "So."

The orange-haired youth turned sharply to his cousin. "So what?" He demanded.

Haru gazed evenly back at him before stating, "You've hardly said a word about this 'Fai' kid. Almost looks like you know something we don't."

Kyo scowled. "It's none of your business." He growled, as he began walking towards the school. But he had barely taken two steps, before he stopped. Without looking back at his cousin, he muttered, "Hey, Haru?"

Said boy tilted his head a bit. "Yeah?"

Kyo sighed heavily before saying, "I know this sounds pretty dumb, but do you think...do you think it's possible…that someone outside the Zodiac…can communicate with animals?"

Haru blinked at that. "You mean, like, talk?"

"Yeah! What else would I be talking about?!" Kyo snapped, his back still facing his white-haired cousin.

Haru replied with a casual, "Sure I do."

"What?!" Kyo spun around to stare at Haru with wide-eyes. "Really?!"

The white-haired youth nodded. "Uh-huh. I also believe that Aliens are living among us and that the Loch-ness monster actually inhabits Antarctica."

"Wha-what're you…?!" Angrily Kyo, turned away from him and began stomping back to the school. "Ugh! I should have known you wouldn't take me, seriously!"

"What?" Haru stared blankly at the retreating form of his cousin. "There are Aliens living with us."

* * *

"Fai-chan!" Satsuki called out to the stall's occupier. "How're you doing in there?"

"Er, I'm doing." Fai piped up.

Satsuki smiled before her eyes went back to a fashion magazine she was reading. When Satsuki and Fai had left Shigure's house, Fai had seemed a little nervous about going to the outside world. His nervousness had seemed to grow into terror when they had reached the subway. His little hand had held onto Satsuki's bigger one very tightly, as if he had been afraid that some monster would try to take him away. Things had hardly gotten any better when they had finally entered the clothing department.

The woman inwardly sighed. _Poor thing_, she thought, _after what he's been through, it's no wonder why he'd be so scared **(**_**_5_**_**)**._ Shaking her head, she turned her attention once more to her magazine, thinking of how her Hiro-chan would look so cute in the green outfit she was seeing.

At that moment, Fai called from inside the stall, "Um…Satsuki-san.?"

Glancing up, Satsuki smiled and answered, "Yes?"

"I-I'm done changing." He squeaked.

The woman beamed. "That's good!

With a rattle, Fai pushed aside the stall curtain and meekly stepped out. When she saw Fai in his new outfit, she couldn't help but squeal in delight. He was wearing a light blue sailor shirt with light blue shorts **(6)**.

Fai shuffled his feet a little bit before glancing timidly up at her. "Um…is this okay?"

Unable to contain herself anymore, Satsuki hugged Fai tightly and squealed out, "_So adorable!!_"

* * *

As soon as the ball slammed into the net, Izumi-sensei blew the whistle **(7)**. "All right! Very good!" He called out to the students. "Everyone take a five-minute break."

The boys were more than happy to do so. Among the heavily panting students, one of the boys with light brown hair leaned leisurely against the fence. It was at that moment, as he was gazing up at the sky, one of his classmates called out, "Hey, Hiro!"

Annoyed, Hiro Sohma glared at the boy and snapped, "What?"

The boy pointed a finger through the fence and asked, "Isn't that your mom?"

Frowning, Hiro turned to where the boy was pointing and squinted his eyes until he saw a familiar face. Yes, that his mother. No doubt about as she was wearing that goofy smile on her face. But before he could answer his classmate's question, his chocolate brown eyes caught sight of another figure.

Hiro blinked upon seeing a blonde boy next to his mother. Was that Momiji? No, it wasn't, he realized. As small as Momiji was, that kid was obviously much smaller.

Hiro's mother smiled as she gazed down at the blonde, before taking his hand and walking across the street with him. The sight made Hiro's heart turn cold. _Wh-who the heck is that kid?! And what is that brat doing with my mom?!_ He thought angrily to himself. Even as his mother and the strange child began to disappear into the crowd, Hiro continued glaring daggers at the blonde.

* * *

"Oh, Fai-san!" Tohru cried out as the child stood there in his new outfit. "You look sooo cute!"

Yuki tilted his head, a bit puzzled, before he turned to Shigure. "Where did he get that outfit?"

The novelist chuckled a bit. "Satsuki-san took him out for shopping, earlier. I must say, they picked quite a wardrobe."

The teenager nodded. "So, Fai-san's staying here, then?"

Sensing his cousin's concern, Shigure whispered to him, "Well, as long as he doesn't find out about the curse, I'm sure everything's going to be fine." He then smirked. "Unless of course, you have a problem…?"

Yuki shook his head. "No, no I don't. But…" Then, at that moment, a spasm of sorrow and agitaion flashed across his face. He started, obviously taken aback by the emotions that weren't his. Shigure could only answer his silent question with, "Ah, you too?"

* * *

**Author's Review****: I hope I did Hiro Sohma's personality right. Again, please, review and tell me what you think so far!**

**(1)** By the way, Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo are already at school at this time.

**(2)** I know it may sound weird, but Satsuki-san always reminded me of Tohru-kun. Both are very kind women, both are always so cheerful, not to mention they're both so clumsy.

**(3)** I don't know how Haru addresses Hatori. I know he addresses Shigure as "Sensei," but, as mentioned in Natsuki Takaya's works, that was because Shigure had asked him to do so. Therefore, I decided to have Haru address him as "Hatori-_san_."

**(4)** They still have not told her that Fai may have been raped.

**(5)** Hatori had told her that Fai may have been raped.

**(6)** It's like the girl's uniform that Momiji usually wears. I have no imagination :P

**(7)** Based off of Izumi Sano from Hisaya Nakajo's Hana-Kimi.


	9. Surprise Guests and Even More Surprises

_**Author's Note**_**: I am so sorry it took me so long to put up Chapter Nine. Things have just been a bit busy with school. Plus, I'm a bit of a procrastinator. But anyway! Here is Chapter Nine! At long, long last! Just to let you, I was inspired by the crossover "The Alchemist and the Zodiac" by _Primitiveradiogoddess_. I was also inspired by the sixth episode of the _Fruits Basket_ anime. Please, please, please, review and tell me what you think! Also I have an idea for another fanfiction (another Tsubasa one). However, I'm still in the middle of writing "Animal Guardians" and "Idiot Blonde and the School Witch." Should I start on another fanfiction or concentrate primarily on the fanfictions I already have? The poll is on my profile. Please, let me know what you think.  
**

_**Disclaimer**_**: I do NOT own **_**Fruits Basket**_**. It is owned by Natsuki Takaya. I do NOT own **_**The Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles**_**. It is owned by **_**CLAMP**_**. I do NOT own _Candy Land_****.

* * *

**

"Very good, Fai-san!" Tohru beamed as he dipped the raw chicken breast into the egg batter. The small blonde looked away shyly at the compliment.

"Next, you put the chicken into the breadcrumbs." The teenage girl told him. "And once it's all covered, we fry it!"

Fai glanced over at the bowl which held the flour and tiny breadcrumbs before placing the dripping piece of meat into it. He stared in fascination as Tohru turned it over to reveal one side covered with white powder and specks of brown crumbs. Just as he was about to dip another chunk of chicken into the bowl, someone rapped at the front door.

"Oh! That must be Momiji-kun and Hatsuharu-san!" Tohru said, delightedly. Quickly, she took off her apron, and began to walk out the kitchen, but not before she called out to Fai, "I'll be right back!"

The child stood there for a moment, not really sure what to do. A couple of hours ago, not long after Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo had returned from school, Yuki had told both Fai and Shigure that Momiji and Haru would be visiting, whoever those two were. When he had seen the child's bewildered face, Shigure had given a reassuring smile. "Oh, don't worry!" He had said. "Momiji and Haru are cousins are ours. You'll like them a lot!"

Still as Fai stood there in the kitchen, he couldn't help but feel…nervous. At that moment, he heard the door slide open and then a high-pitched voice cried out delightedly, "Tohru!"

The scamper of small footsteps sounded before Kyo's shout rang out, "Momiji! Don't!"

Fai bit his lip; then, plucking up his courage, he walked forward towards the front door.

* * *

"Tohru!" Momiji cried out, happily as he ran forward to her. Just as he was about to hug her, Kyo grabbed onto the cuff of his shirt, halting his movement altogether.

"Momiji! Don't!" Kyo snapped.

"Awww! Kyo, you're so mean! I just wanted to say 'hello' to Tohru!"

"You can do that without hugging her!"

"Kyo-kun..." Tohru squeaked out, meekly. "Please, don't be angry!"

"Erm," A little voice spoke up, "Onee-chan?"

Tohru looked up to see both Hiro and Kisa Sohma standing behind Hatsuharu. She immediately perked up at the sight of the orange-haired little girl. "Kisa-san!" She cried out, happily, as she rushed over to embrace her.

"What the—what are _you two_ doing here?!" Kyo shouted upon seeing the two younger Sohmas at the door.

Hiro just shrugged. "Ask the Rabbit. _He's_ the one who dragged us here."

Kyo glared at the blonde Sohma while Yuki only sighed. "…Momiji…" He moaned.

Momiji grinned. "You what they say!" He chirped up, brightly. "The more, the merrier!"

"Says you!" Kyo yelled, as he banged his fist onto his cousin's head.

"Waaah!" The blonde Sohma sobbed. "Somebody! Kyo's hitting me!"

"…Brother…?"

Everyone turned at the small voice and saw another small blonde staring at them from the hallway.

* * *

Fai inhaled quickly, not daring to believe it. When he had entered the hallway, more or less ready to greet the guests, his eyes had caught sight of a short figure with light yellow hair. Was that…? No, it couldn't be! And yet, Fai continued to stare at the other blonde, with hope rising in his heart.

"…Brother…?" He whispered.

The other blonde turned (along with everyone else) and Fai found himself looking into unfamiliar brown eyes. Despairingly, he hung his head, with hope now dead, once more. He should've known. There was no way…no matter how much he wanted it to be…that that other blonde boy was his brother.

"Hello!" A bright voice called out. Fai looked up, and was startled to see that the other blonde was now mere inches away from his face.

"I'm Momiji Sohma!" The other blonde smiled. "You're Fai, right?"

"Um…uh-huh." Fai nodded, somewhat nervously.

"Wow!" Momiji cried out, enthusiastically. "It's so great to meet you!" Then he proceeded to give Fai a very, very wild hand shake **_(1)_**.

"Let's be friends, okay?" He suggested, still shaking the other child's hand very wildly.

"Ah…erm…o-okay!" Fai managed to squeak out. Thankfully, Momiji put an end to the handshake, and Fai tried secretly to shake some feeling back into his limb.

"Hey, don't mind us." A teenage boy's voice coolly said. Fai and Momiji both looked up to see the three other strangers gaze at them. "We're just the new decorum around this place." The voice had come from the boy with white hair. And what white hair he had! Fai could almost swear that it was whiter than any hair he had seen on old men.

"Ah…" The child just didn't know what to say to the white-haired teenager.

"I'm Hatsuharu." The white-haired boy bowed politely. "Nice to meet you."

Fai, reminded of proper manners, immediately bowed back. "Um…hello…"

He glanced up a bit to see a girl, only a few years older than him, with beautiful orange hair. She smiled somewhat shyly. "Um, hello Fai-chan!" She bowed in greeting. "I'm Kisa Sohma."

He blushed a little, before stammering back. "N-nice to meet you."

Someone let out a sharp cough, causing Fai to jump a little. He looked and saw a young boy about Kisa's age, with light brown hair. The last guest glared at Fai so coldly, that the blonde found himself glancing away, almost immediately.

"Hiro Sohma." The other boy grunted.

"Ah…hello…" Fai whispered without meeting Hiro's eyes.

"Hey, you're not supposed to look away when people are talking to you!" Hiro snapped. Fearfully, Fai at once obeyed. "It's rude, y'know."

"Like you're one to talk, Hiro." Hatsuharu remarked as he placed a hand on his younger cousin's head.

"Hey, I'm just stating the facts." Hiro replied, holding up his hands defensively. But even so, he gave a quick, cold glance towards Fai's way, causing the small blonde to flinch.

"Fai! Hey, Fai!" Momiji exclaimed. "Let's play a game, okay?"

The other blonde hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding. "O-okay."

At that, Momiji immediately reached his hands into a large paper bag he had been carrying and pulled out three rectangular boxes.

"Pick the one you like!" The blonde Sohma grinned happily.

Fai blinked, before glancing over at the cases of the board games. After a moment, he pointed to one that showed a lot of bright colors and odd shapes.

"All righty!" Momiji cried out exuberantly. "Toy Land it is **_(2)_**!"

Seemingly disgusted at Fai's choice, Hiro snorted. "_Toy Land_?" He said in disbelief. "Who'd wanna play that baby game?"

"Er, Hiro-chan," Kisa spoke up, sheepishly, "I-I want to play."

Said-boy stopped at that, before abruptly saying, "All right! Let's play."

* * *

Tohru rolled the die, and smiled when she the number five as a sum. "Okay, here I go!" She exclaimed as she took her rubber duck figurine and moved it five spaces forward on the board. "Your turn, Momiji-kun!" She said, once finished.

Eagerly, the blonde Sohma took the die and shook them very rapidly before letting them loose. The result was two threes.

"Yay!" Momiji cheered. "I got doubles!"

"Oh! That means you get to pick a card!" Tohru cried out, just as happily. "Congratulations!"

Hiro rolled his eyes. "It's not necessarily a _good_ thing, y'know."

But that did nothing to deter Momiji's joy as he quickly picked a card from the pile and smiled as he saw what he got. "Hooray!!" He whooped. "I get to go to the Fairy Doll!"

"What're you so happy about?" Hiro said incredulously. "You only get to move two spaces."

"Now, now, Hiro," Haru stated casually, "don't ruin the moment."

"Yeah, Hiro!" Momiji chimed in. "Don't ruin the moment."

Hiro only grumbled as his blonde cousin moved his little Bunny figurine forward. "All righty!" Momiji grinned. "You're next, Fai!"

Hiro sharply turned to the other blonde as Fai began to roll the die. He had recognized him earlier as the blonde he had seen his mother with. Personally, he couldn't see what was so great about the kid. He had hardly anything to any of them since they arrived. And every loud noise that sounded (be it a chair squeaking across the floor or a door slamming) seemed to scare him **_(3)_**. Seriously, what was everyone making fuss for?

At that moment, Kisa spoke up, waking him from his thoughts. "Um, Hiro-chan?" She whispered. "It's your turn, now."

* * *

Haru was quiet as he stared into the empty snack bag.

Apparently his silence didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the group, as Tohru spoke up, "Er, Hatsuharu-san? Is something wrong?"

Haru gave her a blank look before replying, "No more chips." He raised the empty bag for emphasis. It had been well over an hour since he, Momiji, Hiro, and Kisa came over to visit. During that time, everyone had finished playing Toy Land and were now playing "Rich Man, Poor Man." Of course, they had to explain the rules a bit to Fai. But during their whole time playing games, the cookies and chips Haru had brought had soon found their way into everyone's stomachs.

"Oh! That's too bad!" Immediately, Tohru stood up and walked towards the kitchen. "Wait here! I'll go get some more snacks for everyone!"

"Honda-san…" Yuki started. But Tohru was already out of sight.

Exasperatedly, Kyo slapped a hand to his forehead. "Sheesh! That girl…!"

At that moment, the telephone rang, causing Fai to jump at the sound. After a few moments, they heard the receiver being picked up, and Shigure's voice saying, "Yes…Yes…All right." Then, "Oh, Yuki-kuuun!"

The grey-haired youth sighed as he stood up. "Yes?" He called back.

"There's someone named Makoto Takei-kun on the phone _**(4)**_. He wants to talk to you about next year's plans for the school."

Sighing again, Yuki walked upstairs towards the phone. Silence incurred for a few moments before Kyo stood up, himself. "I'm gonna go check on her." He said. "Knowing her, she's probably likely to trip on something." And with that, he left for the kitchen.

* * *

With Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki occupied somewhere else, Fai felt very uncomfortable around the four guests. His discomfort was further increased by the blank looks Hatsuharu gave him and the glares he received from Hiro. Shyly, he glanced over at Kisa, who was staring at her cards. After a moment, he paid attention to his own deck of cards before slumping in his seat. It was at that moment that he heard it.

_**Poof!**_

Fai started at the loud sound, which was soon followed by Tohru's shriek, "Kyo-kun!"

The small blonde was about to stand and run towards the kitchen where the commotion had sounded, when Momiji immediately jumped in front of his face.

"So, Fai!" The blonde Sohma grinned brightly. "What do you like to do for fun?"

"I-er—

"Do you like any movies?" Hatsuharu asked. Suddenly, he was barely a foot away from Fai.

"Well-I—

"Um, I-I think I brought a Mogeto video with me." Kisa added, as she also stared at him.

"But-I—

"Then it's settled!" Momiji declared as he punched his fist into the air. "We're gonna watch Mogeta!"

Within the next thirty seconds, or so it seemed to Fai, everyone had placed him in front of the television set, and they were soon all watching the brightly colored cartoon. As Fai began falling into the television screen's trance, he heard Hatsuharu whisper to Momiji, "Nice save!"

"Eh?" Fai turned to him, puzzled.

"Nothing." Was the automatic response.

Then, just as he was about to turn towards the television set, again, he heard another _**poof**_ come from the kitchen, followed once more by Tohru's shriek. But before he could do anything about it, Momiji grabbed his arm, making him flinch.

"Look!" The blonde Sohma exclaimed as he pointed towards the television. "Here comes the best part!"

A few minutes later, footsteps sounded, and Tohru's cheerful voice rang out, "Oh! Is that Mogeta?"

Everyone looked up to see her standing in the doorway, holding a bowl full of pastries _**(5)**_. Kyo was right behind her, looking somewhat annoyed. "That again?" He said.

Hatsuharu, upon seeing the food, remarked, "Ah! You brought snacks."

At that, Kyo angrily yelled, "You little brat! That was the whole reason she went into the kitchen in the first place!!"

"Kyo-kun…please…" Tohru nervously stammered.

"I get first dibs." Hatsuharu stated, matter-of-factly, as he stood up.

"I call seconds!" Momiji cheerfully proclaimed as he followed suit.

"You two…!" The orange-haired youth growled. "You're making yourselves way too comfortable!"

"It's all right." Tohru said, in a peaceful manner, as she set the bowl down. "Food's meant to be eaten anyway."

Immediately, Hatsuharu and Momiji dug themselves into the pastries. The latter, however, then realized that the other three had not joined them and at once called out, "Hey, Kisa! Hiro! Fai! C'mon and have some!"

Hiro scoffed. "Like we're that desperate to eat some sugary junk—

"Hiro-chan!"

The young boy froze when he saw Kisa's tearful eyes stare at him. Giving in, apparently, he sighed, and said, "Save some for us."

Fai stood up last after Kisa. But as he walked towards the pastries, his foot slipped on the empty bag of potato chips Hatsuharu had left on the ground. Arms spinning wildly, he fell forward, crashing into Kisa in the process.

_**Poof!!**_

"Fai-san!!" Tohru's panicky voice sounded. "Kisa-san!!"

Fai blinked as he opened his eyes, stunned by the sudden appearance of smoke in the room. Something squirmed under him, something that definitely did not feel like a human being. Slowly, Fai stood up, blinking through the fading smoke to see a small, striped orange feline under him with clothes beside it. Very familiar clothes.

Fai stared at the tiger cub before stammering out, uncertainly, "K-Kisa-san…?"

* * *

**Author's Note****: Please, review and tell me what you think!**

**_(1)_** Think of the handshake that Lt. Maes Hughes from Fullmetal Alchemist usually gives to the people he just met. God, he was such an awesome guy, and I'm still angry at the fact that he was killed off. Curse you, Hiromu Arakawa!

**_(2)_** A spoof off of Candy Land. As far as I know, no such game exists.

_**(3)**_ Hiro and Kisa have not been told that Fai may have been raped. In fact, neither Hatsuharu and Momiji have been told as well.

_**(4)**_ To who forgot or who doesn't know, Makoto Takei was the student council president at Kaibara High. He gave Hatsuharu grief because of his hair color.

**_(5)_** She made them beforeheand:)


	10. Secrets Revealed

_**Author's Note**_**: I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I know I said two weeks ago that I'd bring it up in a few days. I know that this chapter is very, very late. I am very sorry. I'm a big procrastinator, I'm sorry…Omigosh, I'm starting to sound like Ritsu Sohma. But still, I am very sorry. I am a little worried about this chapter, as I think I rushed a little at the end. Also, one of Hiro's lines in this chapter was inspired by another _Fruits Basket_ and _Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles_ crossover called "Another Day" by Admiral Godunov. Please, review and tell what you think. Also, the poll on whether or not I should start a new fanfiction will close on New Year's Day. If you want to make a vote, please go to my account. Thank you very much, and have a happy new year:)**

_**Disclaimer**_**: I do NOT own _The Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles_. It is owned by _CLAMP_. I also do NOT own _Fruits Basket_. It is owned by Natsuki Takaya.

* * *

**

Fai stared, wide-eyed at the now tiger-formed Kisa Sohma. "Wha…?" He stammered. "H-How…?"

"U-um, well, you see!" Tohru stuttered hysterically. She took a tentative step towards him, but as she did so, she slipped on another empty snack bag that Hatsuharu had dropped, and began to fall forward **(1)**.

"Hey!" Kyo shouted, reaching for her. But when he caught her in his arms, another _**poof**_ sounded, and where Kyo had once stood, a small explosion of smoke now took his place. With no one to hold her up anymore, Tohru proceeded to fall and the next moment, just as she crashed onto both Momiji and Hiro, two more _**poofs**_ sounded and even more smoke suddenly appeared in the room.

Fai squinted through the smoke, as Hiro's voice angrily cried out, "Argh! Get off me, you stupid lady **(2)**!"

When the smoke finally thinned, Fai stared as he saw a dazed Tohru on top of a rabbit and a small sheep.

"You little—you take that back right now!!"

The small blonde jumped when he noticed an orange cat on Tohru's back and snarling at the sheep—and snarling in Kyo Sohma's voice.

"Eh?"

"Stupid lady!! I said, '_get off_!'" The sheep grunted in Hiro's voice.

"Ah!" Tohru cried out. "I'm so sorry!" Immediately, she stood up, knocking the cat-formed Kyo off her. "Eeek!!" She shrieked, as the said feline landed on the ground with a thud. "Kyo-kun! Are you all right?! I am so sorry!!"

"Honda-san?!" Yuki's voice called out worriedly, his footsteps sounded down the stairway. "Honda-san!" He shouted again, as he ran into the living room. "Is something wro—

Upon seeing the scene in front of him, he froze.

"Hey, I heard a racket!" Shigure's voice called out. Within a few seconds, he entered the room. "So, where's the fi—

Like Yuki, Shigure stopped when he beheld Tohru and Fai—and the animals.

"Oh, dear." The novelist chuckled, nervously.

Hatsuharu, who had been sitting at the table the entire time, just gazed evenly at the situation before him, before munching on another pastry and mumbling, "Well, aren't we in a mess?"

The cat scowled, before angrily shouting at Haru, "Damn right we are!! And this wouldn't have happened if it weren't for you!!"

Shigure sighed. "Kyo…"

"You don't have to yell at me as if it's my fault, Kyo." The white-haired boy replied, coolly. "I'm just an innocent bystander."

"_'Bystander' my ass!_" The cat shrieked. "And where do you get off dumping your trash wherever?! You're a high-schooler for crying out loud!!"

"Kyo..." Yuki started.

"Oh, yeah? What about you?!" Haru retorted. "You throw tantrums all the time like a pre-schooler!!"

"_Do not!!_" The cat shouted.

"All right!" Shigure cried out, with his hands raised. "Kyo-kun, before you make Hatsuharu snap and make this situation any worse, I suggest we all calm down and try to work this all out."

Kyo and Haru both glared at each other for moment, but nonetheless, obeyed their cousin.

* * *

"I suppose you'll want an explanation." Shigure remarked.

Not saying a word, Fai just gave a hesitant nod. It had been several minutes since Fai had bumped into Kisa Sohma—before she and three other Sohmas changed into animals. When Shigure had finally calmed down everyone, he had ushered his transformed cousins away into the upstairs bedrooms with Tohru, Yuki, and Hatsuharu carrying their clothes. Currently, Fai was sitting at the living room table, his bowed head facing both the novelist.

"Well, the short version is," Shigure began, "our family is cursed."

Abruptly, Fai glanced up at him. The adult man looked dead serious.

"Thirteen of us are possessed by the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac and the Cat." The novelist continued. "If we're hugged by a member of the opposite sex or if we're under a great deal of stress, we transform into our respective animal."

The blonde was quiet as he processed this information. Then, "So, because I bumped into Kisa-san…

"She transformed into the Tiger." Shigure finished. "And because Kyo-kun became in close bodily contact with Tohru-kun, he transformed into the Cat, and Momiji-kun and Hiro-kun changed into the Rabbit and the Sheep when Tohru-kun bumped into them."

Fai flushed a little at the reminder of his blunder, before he lowered his head. "I'm sorry." He mumbled, afraid that they would punish him.

"Wha- ?" Shigure sounded a little surprised. "Well, it's all right."

Timidly, the blonde gazed up at the novelist, who was giving a reassuring smile. "You don't have to be sorry. Besides, eventually, we transform back. In fact," He chuckled slightly, "that was the main reason I sent those four away."

Fai blinked in puzzlement. "Why is that?"

Shigure scratched his head, as if pondering on to reply to this. "Well, er, simply said, when we transform back…we're naked."

At that response, Fai blushed. Then, in a shy voice, he stuttered, "Um, y-you're cursed, too, right?"

"Yep." Shigure grinned, as he proudly gave a thumbs-up.

"Um, w-what a-animal are you?" The blonde asked.

"He's the Dog, that's what." Hiro's voice sharply replied. Startled, Fai glanced over towards the doorway where Hiro Sohma stood, human formed and fully clothed. The latter glared at the blonde as he continued, "Though I don't know why we should bother to tell you, especially when your memory's gonna get erased."

"W-wha…?" Fai paled a little, as fear bubbled in his belly.

Shigure sighed, exasperatedly. "Hiro-kun…"

"What?! You know I'm right!" Hiro snorted. "I don't even know why you have an outsider here. Sooner or later, the kid would've found out—

"Hiro-chan!!" The said boy turned around to see Kisa, also now changed back, staring back at him in disappointment.

His shoulders slumping in defeat, Hiro stomped off, angrily.

"Hey, Hiro!" Fai heard Momiji call out. "Where're you going?"

"Ah, leave him!" Kyo's voice grumbled. "He's just being a brat."

Yuki snorted. "Oh, well, look who's talking."

"WHAT?! YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING TO SAY, YOU DAMN RAT??!!!!"

Fai flinched slightly at the noise, before Momiji's voice began calling out, "_Heeeeyyyy Faaaaiiiiii_!"

Within seconds, the blonde Sohma had rushed to his side, grinning cheerfully all the while.

"So, Fai," he began, "Shii-chan told you about the zodiac curse, right **(3)**?" Fai didn't answer; he just felt like breaking down and crying. Momiji tilted his head, concerned, as he saw the troubled expression on the other's face. "What's the matter?"

Fai slowly glanced up at Momiji, before saying, "W-what does Hiro-san m-mean that my m-memories are g-gonna be erased?"

At that, the blonde Sohma looked just as gloomy as Fai felt. The latter turned towards Shigure, who sighed and said, "Usually what happens to those who find out about the curse is that they're put under hypnosis so that they won't remember having discovered it in the first place. It doesn't hurt." He told the child, reassuringly. "But…"

Fai stared at him, his eyes overflowing with tears. He didn't want to forget! True, there were several, several memories he wished to get rid of altogether. But the moments he had spent with Tohru Honda, the kindness the Sohmas had given him, he didn't want to forget those!

It was at that moment that Momiji spoke. "But Shii-chan, can't you talk to Akito?" He asked, earnestly. "I mean, he let Tohru keep her memories."

Shigure scratched his head, looking uncertain. "Well," he replied, "I could try. But I can't make any guarantees."

Dread washing over him, Fai hung his head in despair.

* * *

_Shigure glanced around, feeling a great sense of peace in the colorful meadow. Peace…as well as awe. Sitting all around him were dogs. Beagles, yellow labs, terriers, dogs of all kinds!_

_ It was then that he noticed a great black dog, gazing at him intently. It was the Dog of the Chinese zodiac._

_ "Shigure Sohma," The Dog growled, "you must protect him."_

_ The man stared back at him, bewildered. "Protect…?"_

_ "Do not turn him away!" The Dog continued. "You must protect that child at all costs!"_

_ Shigure's eyes widened as he finally understood. "You mean Fai-chan?"_

_ The Dog nodded. "Do not turn him away, Shigure Sohma." He repeated._

_ The man raised his hands up, hopelessly. "But what is there that I can do? He's found out about the curse, so everyone at the Main House will expect that his memories become erased."_

_ "You must protect him." The Dog growled again._

_ "But _how_?!" Shigure cried out in frustration. "I could talk to Akito-san, yes, and hope that he decides to let Fai-chan stay just like Tohru-kun. But he only allowed Tohru Honda to keep her memories because he thought she would reject the others. However, now that his plan has failed, I doubt he's going to be lenient towards any outsider. Believe me, I'd protect Fai-chan if I could, but I can't deny Akito-san's wishes, and the only way Akito would let Fai-chan stay and keep his memories would be if the kid was somehow of use to him."_

_ The man panted, as he waited for the Dog's response. But the latter was silent, taking in Shigure's rant. Then,_

_ "Wake up, Shigure Sohma."_

_ The said-man blinked. "What?"_

_ At that moment, the meadow began melting away into darkness. Shigure cried out, as the ground on which he had been standing had melted as well, and he began falling into the deep foggy darkness._

_ "Wake up." The Dog's voice echoed in the oblivion. "Wake up and see how the child can be 'of use.'"

* * *

_

Shigure gasped as he awakened, nearly jumping off his futon in the process. Taking a few seconds to calm his frantic heart, the novelist wiped the sweat off his brow, muttering, "Some dream."

It was then as Shigure continued to reassure himself that he heard sniffling.

"Th-they say they're g-going to erase m-my memory…" Fai's voice whimpered. Frowning slightly, the novelist quietly stood up before tip-toeing to his door. It sounded as if Fai was in the living room.

"I-I don't that!" The child hiccupped. "I don't want to forget them!"

As Shigure crept down the hallway, he was startled to see leaning against the wall Yuki, who was fully awake and seemed just as surprised to see the novelist.

"Hey!" Shigure whispered to his cousin. "What's going on?"

"_Sssshhhh!!_" The other hissed. "Listen."

"What am I going to do?!" Fai moaned.

It was then that a dog's soft bark answered the child's cry, a bark which Shigure could easily understand as "Don't cry. Everything's going to be all right."

"No, it won't." Fai sniffed.

It took the novelist a moment or two before he finally realized it. Fai, a young boy and someone outside the Sohma family, was actually communicating with a dog! The man strained his ears to hear some more, but all that seemed to follow was a long ensuing silence. Then, "It's not going to work out. It'll never work out!" The blonde cried out, despairingly.

"Yes, it will." The dog said, softly. "Yes, things may seem bleak right now. But it'll get better. It will. You just have to be strong."

Fai sniffled some more. Then, he answered weakly, "Okay."

Another period of silence continued. Suddenly, Fai whispered, "All right. Good-night."

Shigure blinked. That was _it_? As he heard the front door sliding and small feet and paws padding, he glanced towards his cousin for a different perspective. Yuki, although the novelist could not see his face, seemed amazed. "He was talking to the rats, Shigure." The teenager whispered. "I heard them. There were two of them that came with the dog."

Rats? The kid could also communicate with rats? Just as the wheels in Shigure's head began turning, a small voice called out softly, "Y-Yuki-san? Shigure-san?"

Both Sohmas turned to see Fai's small form staring up at them from the end of the hall. The novelist did not need the light turned on to know that the child was afraid. A long uncomfortable silence hung in the air, before Yuki broke it, "Erm, Fai-san, I'm sorry we that we eavesdropped on you."

The child hung his head a bit as he stammered, "Are you mad at me?"

"Wha-?" Yuki sounded surprised.

"Mad at you?" Shigure cried out, just as taken aback. "Fai-chan, we're not mad at you. Really."

Fai glanced up at them, perhaps a little encouraged. It was then that Shigure said, "Fai-chan, there's something I want to talk to you about." He took a deep breath, then, "You can talk to animals, can't you, Fai-chan?"

The child jumped a little at that, obviously startled. "Um," Fai stammered nervously, "I-I…I mean—

"It's all right, Fai-san," Yuki whispered, reassuringly, "there's nothing to be afraid of."

"Yes." Shigure nodded earnestly. "Besides, I didn't tell you this, but those of us who are cursed can communicate with our respective animals."

Fai gazed at the Sohmas for a long moment. Finally, the child gave a hesitant nod and said, "Okay. I can talk to animals."

Yuki looked at him, curiously, before asking, "_All_ animals?"

The blonde shook his head. "No, not all. I can only talk to some."

"Well," Shigure said, "what kinds?"

Both Yuki and Fai stared at him. "Eh?" The child didn't seem to understand.

"What kinds of animals can you talk to?" The novelist clarified.

"Um," Fai looked down at the floor in thought. Then, "Cats and dogs and snakes, rats, rabbits…and sheep, too…"

"Really?" Shigure replied, interested. However, the novelist could feel Yuki narrow his eyes at him skeptically.

"Just what are you thinking, Shigure?" The teenager demanded.

The said-man slowly faced his cousin and smiled before turning towards Fai, as well.

"I'm thinking," Shigure replied, still grinning from ear-to-ear, "that we may just have a chance in convincing Akito to let Fai-chan keep his memories…"

* * *

**Author's Note****: Again, please review. Reviews make me very happy. A review would be a wonderful New Year's gift. Have a happy new year :)**

**(1)** Haru, you need to learn not to litter -_-

**(2)** I got this line from "Another Day" by Admiral Godunov. It's another _Fruits Basket_ and _Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles_ crossover and it's _really_ good!

**(3)** For those who don't remember or don't know, 'Shii-chan' is Momiji's nickname for Shigure.


	11. The Word of God

_**Author's Note**_**: Finally…Finally, finally, finally! I have updated. I am very sorry it took so long to put it up. And for those who are waiting for the next chapter for "Idiot Blonde and the School Witch," I'm sorry, but it's still going to take more time. Anyway, here's the next chapter for "Animal Guardians". Just so you know, one part of this chapter is based off a scene from "Episode 26" of the _Fruits Basket_ anime. ****Plus, warning: there is a spoiler from "Chapter 65" of the _Fruits Basket_ manga, a hint of a spoiler from "Chapter 96" as well as a major spoiler from "Chapter 97". ****Please, review and tell me what you think! Flames are welcomed.  
**

_**Disclaimer**_**: I do NOT own _The Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles_. It is owned by _CLAMP_. I also do NOT own _Fruits Basket_. It is owned by Natsuki Takaya.

* * *

**

Out of the corner of his eye, Hatori saw Shigure face the backseat.

"You're doing all right, Fai-chan?" The novelist asked.

From behind, Hatori heard a soft, "Uh-huh." But even without looking back, the doctor knew that the young blonde was fidgeting very nervously. _He has every reason to be scared_, Hatori thought, as painful memories of Kana came up. Sighing, he glanced out the window to his side, recalling that morning's events…

Hatori had received the call early that morning. _Very_ early. Although still not fully awake, the doctor had not been very surprised to learn that the call was from Shigure. This had soon changed when Shigure had made a very unexpected suggestion: "What if Fai-chan was somehow involved in the Sohma curse?"

Hatori had at first thought that his was another one of Shigure's foolish games. That was before he had made a visit to the latter's house, where everyone was seated at the table. Shigure he might doubt, but Yuki and Kyo were a different story. As soon as Shigure had once again stated his theory, and Yuki had told everyone that he and the novelist had heard Fai communicating with a dog and rats the other night, Kyo had shouted out at Fai with, "I knew it! There _is_ something weird about you!"

"Like you're one to talk." Yuki had scowled, appearing exasperated as the young blonde in the question had fearfully shrunk back in his seat.

Growling "Damn rat", Kyo, after seeing everyone give him inquiring looks, had reported that he had heard Fai a few nights ago talking to a cat. After a moment's of contemplation, Hatori turned to the child and asked, "Is this true, Fai-san?"

The blonde had bit hid lip, before nodding hesitantly. Tohru, appearing excited, had clapped her hands together, exclaiming, "Oh, wow! That's so amazing, Fai-san!"

The young blonde had blushed, before murmuring, "I can only talk to some animals, though." He had shifted nervously in his seat.

Hatori had frowned. "Only some?"

Fai had given a small nod. "Dogs, cats, rats, snakes, rabbits, sheep…"

It was then that Kyo had stated, "Well, that's all great and all, but how does this mean that he has something to do with the curse?"

Shigure had tsked at his orange-haired cousin, saying, "Really, Kyo-kun! Are you truly that stupid? As everyone else may have seen," he had continued, completely ignoring Kyo's "_Damn dog!_", "the animals that Fai-chan can communicate with are all from the Zodiac legend."

Hatori, however, had not been as convinced as Shigure had appeared. "Those are only _some_ of the animals from the Zodiac legend." He had pointed out. Sighing, he had turned to Fai, saying, "Can you not speak to cows and horses as well? Tigers?"

The young blonde had not seemed certain himself. "I-I have never met a tiger or a horse, before. And I-I have only seen a cow once, and I was too far away to talk to him."

The novelist had grinned triumphantly. "See?"

Hatori had not said anything to that. But when Shigure had suggested setting up an appointment with Akito right then and there, the doctor had pulled his cousin into the hallway where they could talk in private. "I don't think this is a good idea, Shigure." Hatori had told him. It was not that he wanted Fai to forget everything before being turned away. When he had been told of yesterday's incident, the doctor could not help but feel mournful of the fact that he would probably have to erase the young blonde's memories. Still, if Akito were to learn of Fai's abilities, there would be a good chance that that the head of the family would treat the child the same way as he treated the Zodiac members. And that was not a comforting thought.

But even as he had tried to urge the novelist to think more carefully about the situation, he had felt the Dragon's spirit within him grow agitated and impatient. Finally, having grown tired of Shigure's coaxing and the Dragon's irritation inside him, Hatori resigned himself to his cousin's plan.

Currently, as he was driving Shigure and Fai to the Sohma estate, Hatori could not help but sigh, unable to quell the uneasiness he felt. _I can only hope that things don't get out of hand_, he thought.

* * *

Fai gulped, as he was led to the front door. Shigure, glancing down, gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry," the adult said, "Everything's going to be all right."

But even as Fai gave a small nod back, he couldn't help but feel immensely afraid at meeting the Sohma head. He remembered when Shigure had mentioned Akito Sohma earlier that morning. Almost immediately after the name was brought up, it seemed as if everyone's spirit had dropped. Kyo's scowl had deepened and his fists had clenched themselves very tightly; Yuki's eyes had shadowed in what the child recognized all too well as pain and sorrow; even Tohru, who was bright and cheerful nearly all the time, had seemed to become very nervous.

When it was about time for them to leave, Tohru had given him a smile, saying, "Good luck, Fai-san!" However, her smile had soon faltered, and before the young blonde knew it, she had wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace—which Fai had returned, his lower lip trembling. As Hatori and Shigure had led him into the car, he had glanced back at the three teenagers, Tohru trying to put her smile back on and Yuki and Kyo looking at him as if they would never see him again.

At the moment, as Shigure knocked on the door, Fai fidgeted with the stiff hem of his jacket. At the sound of the door sliding open, the child glanced up and almost flinched to see the scowling face of an elderly woman glaring at them.

"Good morning, Taka-chan **(1)**." Shigure said, pleasantly. "We have an appointment with Akito-san…"

The woman's eyes turned towards Fai, before stiffly replying, "So I have been told."

The woman moved aside to let them in; she watched with narrowed eyes as Hatori and Shigure slid off the shoes and Fai struggled to get out of his. The blonde bit his lip, pulling at his black shoe with all his might, but it refused to get off. What made it worse was that the woman, Taka, was glaring at him all the while, as if he was nothing more than a pest. Finally, with a great big tug of his strength, the shoe flew off his socked foot—with the force of it knocking Fai down onto his side.

The blonde sniffled as he tried to fight back his frustrated tears. Hearing a sigh, he glanced over to see Hatori kneel down and gently slide off his other shoe. Blushing in embarrassment, he murmured, "I'm sorry."

As Fai pulled himself up, Shigure gave small chuckle and said, "Oh, don't worry. We all have, er, _footwear_ malfunctions every now and then."

Taka let out an indignant _hmph_, before shuffling down the hallway. Hatori, Shigure, and Fai followed her, not saying anything. As they were led deeper into the house, Taka scoffed, "I do hope you two will make this appointment worthwhile. Akito-san should not be made to waste his time," she glanced disdainfully towards Fai, before adding, "especially for a _gai-jin **(**_**_2)_**."

Fai looked away, tightening his grip on Hatori's pant leg.

"You always have the nicest things to say, don't you?" Shigure remarked.

"Shigure…" The doctor growled, warningly.

Taka, however, gave no reply to the novelist's comment as they halted in front of door. Carefully sliding it open to reveal a dimly lit room, Taka bowed her head low before saying, "Akito-san? They're here."

Silence ensued for a few seconds, making Fai hold his breath in apprehension. Then, "Fine. Let them in."

Slowly, the trio entered the room, and through the shadows, the child could see a figure leaning against the opposite wall.

"Akito-san." Hatori spoke up as he and Shigure bowed their heads with Fai following suit.

The shades were abruptly pulled apart, making the blonde wince at the sudden intake of sunlight. Squinting, he could make out more details about the Sohma head. Akito, much to Fai's surprise, was very young, perhaps not much older than Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru **(3)**; the child had thought the head would be an old, wrinkly man with a cane. Still, the real version did not stop Fai from looking away from the other's gaze. There was something about Akito Sohma's eyes as they scrutinized him in the sunlight, something that really, really scared him.

"So," Akito's voice remarked, "you must be Fai-chan."

Not daring to glance back up, Fai nodded.

"My beloved Dragon and Dog have told me some…_interesting_ stories about you." Akito continued. The blonde said nothing, as he adjusted himself on his feet.

"Uncomfortable, are we?" Akito asked. Fai shuddered. Even without looking up, he could see the man's smirk.

"Well, I'm not a cruel host." The Sohma head said. "Please, do sit down."

Fai turned to his right where he saw three mats situated. Bowing his head in thanks, the young blonde followed the two adults as they kneeled down on the flat cushions. As soon as they sat down, Akito spoke up with, "So, what is this I hear about you being able to talk to the Zodiac animals?"

Fai squirmed a little under the man's gaze, but before he could say anything, Akito asked, "How long have you had such a gift, Fai-chan?"

Stuttering, the child replied, "A-all my life, Akito-san."

"I see." The Sohma head said. "But as I understand it, you can only talk to a few animals, is that right?"

Fai nodded nervously. "Y-yes, th-that's right." Hesitantly, he glanced up at Akito, and shuddered when he saw the man curl an oily smile.

"I have already been given a list of all the animals you can to **(4)**." Akito stated. "From I've heard, there seem to be a few Zodiac members missing in that list." Sneering at the child, he said, "So, you can't talk to cows, boars, or horses? What about tigers or monkeys? Or even birds? Can't you talk to them?"

Fai bit his lip. Then plucking up his courage, he whispered, "I can't talk to birds."

"What?"

"I-I can't talk to birds." He repeated, a little louder. Stammering, Fai continued, "I-I don't know about those other animals. I-I've never met them before. B-but I can't talk to birds."

"Really?" Akito smirked. Turning his back towards the child and the two other adults, he remarked, "Well, if that's the case, you may not be related to our family curse, after all."

Fear bubbled in Fai as the Sohma head said those words. To his side, he heard Shigure breath in sharply and Hatori shift in his seat. _He's going to erase my memories_**_ (5)_**_!_ The child thought. _He's going to make me forget!_ His heart beating frantically, Fai squeaked out, "I can't talk to birds, but my daddy could!"

Akito stopped. Slowly turning towards the blonde, the Sohma head said, "What?"

Fai gulped. "M-my daddy…he said he could talk to birds, a long time ago…but then, he said that before I was born, he couldn't talk to them anymore, somehow…" At the mention of his father, tears started to flood his eyes. He squeezed his eyes closed, as he tried to shut out the all-too-familiar images of blood and a lifeless body.

Amidst his own pain, Fai did not notice that the Sohma head had become very, very quiet. Then,

"_So you can talk to some animals!! So what?!_" Akito screamed. Startled, Fai barely had time to look up before the man backhanded him. The child cried out in pain as he fell to his side.

"Akito!" He heard Shigure shout. "Stop!"

But the novelist's plea went unheard, for the next thing Fai knew was a spidery hand grabbing his hair and shaking him about **(6)**.

"_What makes you so special?! You have nothing to do with this family! You hear?! _Nothing_!!!_"

"Stop! Please!" Fai sobbed out, his scalp throbbing from the abuse.

And, to his surprise, it did stop. Through teary eyes, the child glanced up at Akito. The man's face seemed to have gone pale, his eyes rolling to the back of his skull. Then, the Sohma head was collapsed onto the floor.

* * *

_She was sitting in a meadow. A beautiful meadow filled with brightly colored flowers. Akito might have enjoyed such peaceful scenery—had there not been a man glaring down at her. No, not a man. Even as she quailed under his stern gaze, she could see his eyes full of power and authority and demanding respect. This being, she realized, was none other than the God of the Zodiac legend._

_ The God continued to glare at Akito, before saying, "Do not hurt him, Akito Sohma."_

_ The Sohma head shook a little, as the God's voice reverberated around her. "Wh-what…?"_

_ "Do not hurt him…and do not turn him away." The God spoke._

_ Akito stiffened as she finally understood who the God was talking about. "B-but," She protested, "he's not one of us! He doesn't belong here! What does that _brat _have to do with our family?!"_

_ The God gave her such an intense look that Akito almost immediately regretted her words. Finally, the God replied, "Everything."_

_ No sooner had the God said that word that everything around Akito started to melt into a foggy blackness. Just as the ground under her gave way, she heard the God's voice call out, "Protect him, Akito Sohma."

* * *

_

"Kureno!" Hatori's voice rang out. "Did you get my medic's kit?"

"Right here, Hatori-san."

"Fai-chan," Akito heard Shigure say in a hushed tone, "are you all right?"

A sniffle was sounded, before a small broken voice answered, "Uh-huh."

"What happened?" Kureno's voice asked. "I heard shouting and ran down here to see what was going on, only to see Akito-san faint."

"You sure you want to know?"

"Shigure, be quiet." Hatori's voice snapped.

Slowly, Akito opened her eyes to see both Kureno and Hatori hover over her, concern etched upon their faces.

"Akito-san…?" Hatori whispered, uncertainly.

Abruptly, she stood up, startling both men.

"Akito-san, you shouldn't get up so quickly." Hatori said.

The Sohma head ignored him, and instead, turned towards the blonde child, whom, she noted with a scowl, was being held gently by Shigure. The said man met her gaze, evenly, as if daring her to attack Fai, once more.

"Akito…" She heard Kureno say her name.

Hands clenching into fists, she continued to glare at both the novelist and the child. Then, turning her back towards them, she growled, "…He can stay…"

* * *

_**Author's Note**_**: Personally, I don't think I did so well on this chapter. Again, please, review and tell me what you think!**

**(1)** I did not know the name of the head maid in the Sohma Estate, so I decided to call her Taka. Also, the suffix '-chan' is usually used for playfulness. However, this is being very familiar with the other person (at least, more familiar than '-san'). I tried to make it so that Shigure, by calling a woman several years his elder 'Taka-_chan_', would appear disrespectful. I probably didn't succeed though :P

**(2)** Gai-jin means "foreigner".

**(3)** Actually, Tohru had thought the same in Volume Four of Fruits Basket.

**(4)** He got the list from Shigure when the latter set up the appointment over the phone.

**(5)** Fai does not know at the moment that Hatori is the one who erases memories.

**(6)** This part is based off of a scene from "Episode 26" of the _Fruits Basket_ anime.


	12. Fai's Name and Shigure's Decision

_**Author's Note**_**: Sorry about the earlier confusion. I just had to fix some things with a couple of previous chapters. Other than that, here is the newest chapter! I am really, really sorry it's taken me so long to update. And I'm sorry that this is a short chapter. Anyway, please, let me know what you think. Also, for those who have not seen, I am working on a new fanfiction called "Angler Island," which is a crossover between Eiichio Oda's **_**One Piece**_** and **_**CLAMP**_**'s **_**Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles**_**. For those who really love these manga/anime, please, check it out. Anyway, onwards to the disclaimer!**

_**Disclaimer**_**: I do NOT own **_**The Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles**_**. It is owned by **_**CLAMP**_**. I also do NOT own **_**Fruits Basket**_**. It is owned by Natsuki Takaya. I do NOT own **_**Hello Kitty**_**. It is owned by **_**Sanrio**_**.

* * *

**

"Everyone," Shigure said, grinning at the three high-schoolers, "I'd like to introduce…the newest member of this household," he finished, placing a hand on Fai's blonde head.

At this, Tohru happily clapped her hands together. "Oh, wow! That's wonderful!"

Yuki, who although was glad for the child, appeared skeptical. "So, Akito actually allowed it?"

In response, Shigure gave a somewhat nervous laugh, "Well, he wasn't too keen on the idea at first, but as you can see," he said, gesturing towards Fai, "He changed his mind."

Kyo let out an indignant snort. "Akito _never_ changes his mind."

"Well, at any rate," Shigure said, "I think this calls for a celebration. So, Tohru-kun," he turned to her, with pleasant smile, "would you honor us with some delicious homemade cake? With strawberries, perhaps?"

"Don't order her around!" His cousins angrily yelled at him.

"And why are _you_ the one making the request?" Demanded Kyo.

Tohru, on the other hand, responded, "Oh, of course! I'd be happy to make one!"

As she walked off to the kitchen, Shigure said to the child, "Well, now that it's settled that you're going to stay with us, I'm going to have to fill out some paperwork, tomorrow. Oh, and we should also see about getting you into school."

Fai looked worried. "School?"

"Oh, there's no need to worry!" Shigure cheerfully told him. "I'm sure you'll make lots of new friends, learn plenty of new things, and…" He stopped when he saw the uncertain look on the child's face. As realization came to him, Shigure asked, "Fai-chan, have you ever _been_ to school, before?"

A shake of the head was the answer he got. Yuki looked at Fai with sympathy. Even Kyo's scowling face seemed to soften as he stared as the younger boy. Sighing, Shigure said, "Do you know a little math? Can you read?"

"A little." Fai mumbled.

Shigure scratched his head in thought as he looked at him. "Well, maybe we should get you into a remedial class over the summer, first, so that you can get used to the system."

The boy did not seem too enthusiastic about this idea. Nevertheless, he let out a soft, "Okay" as he nodded meekly.

Yuki, sensing the child's uneasiness, gave him a small smile, saying, "If you'd like, I can help you with some of your homework."

Before Fai could thank him, a cacophony of crashes and Tohru's shrieking sounded from within the kitchen, startling everyone. At once, Yuki ran forth, calling out, "Honda-san?"

"Dammit! Tohru!" Kyo cursed, following after his cousin.

A minute had barely passed before two _**Poof**_s sounded and Tohru frantically cried out, "Ah! Yuki-kun! Kyo-kun! Are you all right? I'm so sorry!"

Shigure couldn't help but laugh as the scenario played out from the kitchen. "Welcome to the Sohma house, Fai-chan!" He said, smiling at the child's stunned face.

He turned to leave, but then stopped as a thought passed through his head. "Fai-chan?"

The boy glanced up at him.

"When we were seeing Akito, you said that your father could talk to birds," Shigure said, slowly, "so, that would mean your father has the same gift as you do, right?"

Fai bit his lip, looking like he had said too much.

"Fai-chan, your ability, it runs in your family, doesn't it?"

The child just dropped his head, guiltily.

"There's no need to be afraid," Shigure said, reassuringly, "You know what kind of secret we have, and if anything, I think ours is much stranger than yours."

Fai shuffled his feet for a bit, then murmured, "W-we're not supposed to tell anyone. I-if we did, _she_ would get mad."

Shigure frowned. "_Who_ would?"

But the boy just shook his head. The novelist sighed. Whoever _she_ was, it was obvious she had instilled a sense of fear upon the young child. Crouching down until he was eye-to-eye with Fai (or at least was supposed to as the boy was still gazing down at his feet), Shigure said, "Fai-chan, don't you have a mother and a father out there?" It was very ridiculous to ask this sort of question _now_, the man knew, but Fai had refused to say anything about his past. Not only that but whoever had had Fai last, it was clear by the multiple bruises still marring his body, by the _terror_ in his eyes, that they had not had his best interests at heart.

At the question, Fai gave a small hiccup before shaking his head. Shigure saw a drop of something wet fall from his face and onto the floor. A tear. The novelist felt bad for bringing up something so painful to the little boy. But still, he had to know!

"Wasn't there a name your family went by?" Shigure asked. "Like Inoue? Tsukiyama? Aokawa? Tom, Dick, or Harry?" He added, humorously.

The boy did not reply. The novelist sighed, thinking that perhaps he should call it quits. Before standing back up, he gave a reassuring pat on Fai's blonde head, causing the boy to flinch slightly. "Hey," Shigure whispered, "whatever happened, it's over now. You don't have to be afraid anymore, all right?"

A moment passed, then the child gave a nod. Shigure stood up, about to head to his study, when he heard Fai mutter something.

"Huh? What?" He tilted his head inquisitively.

Fai took a deep breath, then, "The name of my family is Flourite."

* * *

"I was tending to a patient, Shigure." Hatori said.

"Oh, were you?" The novelist replied innocently into the phone.

"All you had to do was a say your name to the answering machine." His cousin said, his voice calm yet lined with anger. "What made you think it was necessary for you to sing 'Hello Kitty' when leaving a message?"

"My version is 'Hello Ha'ri'." Shigure put in delightedly.

A pause occurred, and the novelist could almost swear he could hear Hatori clench and unclench his fists. Then, "Did you call me just for the sole purpose of tormenting me?" The doctor said, quietly.

"Well, that was one reason, but," Shigure answered, his tone becoming slightly more serious, "I was actually wondering if you have ever heard of the name 'Flourite'?"

"'Flourite'?" Hatori repeated. "No, I can't say I have. Why? Is this something to do with Fai-san?"

Shigure nodded, even though he knew his cousin couldn't see him. "He said it's his surname."

Hatori was silent for a minute. Then he said, "Well, now that we know his name, we might be able to find out where he came from and return him to his real family."

"We might." The novelist replied. Within, he felt the Spirit of the Dog tense at what Hatori said.

"But it seems that our Zodiac Spirits are insistent that he stay under _our_ protection." Hatori added dryly.

Shigure let out a soft chuckle, as he heard the Spirit of the Dog let out a short bark of agreement. "It seems that way."

Hatori let out a weary sigh, before saying, "We don't exactly know what happened to him, Shigure. But until Fai-san says anything, we have to, by law, return him to his parents or guardians."

"Even if they are ones who beat him black and blue?" Shigure asked, grimly.

Hatori sighed again. "As I have already said, we don't know that. And even if we did, we'd need Fai-san's testimony and proof that they were the ones responsible. And Fai-san is not telling us _anything_."

A pause occurred. Then, "But knowing you, Shigure, you do not intend on bringing him back to them, do you?"

"Nope!" The novelist grinned. "What about you, Ha'ri?"

"I don't like the idea of breaking the law." Hatori answered. "But I also don't like the idea of possibly handing him back to his abusers."

Shigure's smile grew.

"So, if you did not ask me about his surname to return him to his family," The doctor said, "then there can only be one reason why you asked at all."

"Now, Ha'ri," Shigure mock-scolded him, "you still can't deny the possibility that Fai-chan is related to our own curse."

"And if he is, what then?" Hatori asked. "Are you going to see if there's someway to break the curse?"

"Well, I see no harm in _trying_."

Silence echoed through the phone. "Shigure, I won't stop you," The doctor began, "but you and I both know that Fai-san has been through a lot. If your meddling hurts him in any way, he might not be able to trust anyone again."

The novelist knew he was right. Letting out small sigh himself, Shigure replied, "I understand. I'll try to make that doesn't happen."

And with that, he hung up the phone, wondering if he could find the name "Flourite" anywhere online.

* * *

**Author's Note****: Again, please review! I love reviews!**


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